Instigation of Hate
by Singing A Grey Lie
Summary: Sen, a lonely girl from Kusagakure, is sealed with a demon and left for dead by nearly everyone. Who can she trust? No one. Not until she knows who she is, and only she can find out.
1. Instigation of Hate

She grew up like any other two-year-old girl. Except, she wasn't like everyone else. She had a monster dwelling within her, a creature of great porportions. The girl did not yet know this. Her family was strange and did not have the best of reputation in The Village Hidden in the Grass. Some of her family had a strange skin discoloration, in which parts of the skin would be pure white and others, pure black. Other members had acquired plant-like disformations, some subtle, and some hard to notice. The only two out of seven children that had acquired these genes were the girl and her older brother, Zetsu. While her brother's oddities were easy to see, hers were much more subtle. Her skin was bone white, except a small black spot on her right shoulder blade, where no one would see it. When she was very happy, a red rose would blossom behind her ear, making it appear as though she had tucked a flower in her ebony hair. Other times, it would simply stay hidden behind her hair, nothing but a small bud of a rose. And when she could take no more despair or sorrow, the rose wilted. Because of these oddities, the girl and her brother got along best, understanding one anothers' needs. The other female children in the family did not like girl, the youngest, and therefore was closest with two of her older brothers. Two of her older sisters simply did not like her, while the oldest had no time for her. Her father was scarcely home and her mother struggled to do the best she could. When her father was home, though, everyone was glad. One such night, something happened.

Everyone had gathered in the living room, glad for the return of their father. It was a quiet night, and hardly anyone spoke. The girl sat on the floor, playing with a stuffed panda she had named Pukai.

Her mother spoke up, "Dear, don't you think it's time you should be going to bed? It's getting awfully late." The girl looked up and nodded. Holding tightly to her toy, the girl gave everyone a hug and told them goodnight. She hugged her brother Zetsu last. When he told her goodnight, there was a sweet smell on his breath, something like...Blood, maybe? But she didn't think of that. She walked back to her room and didn't turn the light on. She admired the panda mural on her walls and crawled into bed, pulling the covers up to her shoulders and no further. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

She lay wide awake in her own bed. She didn't know what had woken her up, nor did she want to. Her snow-white skin was snow-cold and goosebumps dotted her arms. Fear swam in murky depths behind her eyes, taunting and teasing her. Her back was towards the door, and she was staring at the black and white of a painted panda.

Something was pressed against her neck, cold in some spots, warm in the other. It smelled sweet, too, exactly like her brother's breath had been. Her dull blue eyes grew wide and a scream threatened to pierce her lips. Her body remained frozen on her bed. The covers had been removed. Hours seemed to pass as the cold-and-warm-thing sat on her neck, ready to go through her skin at any moment.

Then it was gone and she heard footsteps receding out of her room. She sat up when she heard no more footsteps and slid off her bed. Running barefoot, she slipped through the wet warmness that painted the floors of her house. The smell of iron filled her nose, and she realized she was walking through puddles of blood. This did not hinder her, and she continued to run. The front door was open, and she saw none of her family. Stepping cautiously out the door, she stood on the stone steps, unbelieving of her own eyes.

There stood her brother, Zetsu, a bloody blade clutched in his hand. There was blood on his shirt, on his hands. He was covered in blood.

Her feeble voice broke the night air. "Brother, what have you done? Where are Mother and Father?"

"Fittingly, I have simply rid myself of a burden I could not carry." His voice showed no remorse, no care, just hate.

"Why...why would you...?"

He ignored her petty pleas. "You have a gift, a blessing, a monster. Become a ninja, surpass me in many ways. Then you may have the revenge you will so desire." He did a few hands signs and called the name of a jutsu. The girl stood there, her face blank. She did not know who she was, what she was doing there, or anything else. She remembered only two things: Her stuffed panda, and her brother.

She must have stood there for two hours, blank and staring. A kind female voice resounded behind her.

"Hey, kid, are you OK?" She felt two hands on her shoulders and woman in a mask stood in front of her. "What happened? Who are you?"

"I...I'm not...I don't know..." She could only answer that way.

note

I DO NOT OWN/HAVE ANY ASSOCIATION WITH THE CREATOR/PUBLISHER OF NARUTO.


	2. Instigation of Hate 2

The woman in the mask looked straight at her. She was an ANBU, the girl knew that much.

She asked, "You remember nothing? Do you know who did this?"

Other ANBU had swarmed around them, entereing and exiting the house, scoping things out for themselves. "No...I...nothing..." She could remember nothing, no thoughts came to her.

"Are you s-"

The girl cut her off. "My brother. He did it. I know that."

The woman took off her mask and smiled. She put out her hand for the girl to shake. She did nothing of the sort. "My name's Karin. I'm going to take you back to ANBU headquarters, OK? Mr. Idda can do anything he needs to from there."

"Pukai. I want to get Pukai." The girl totally ignored the ANBU's protests and entered the house, something in the back of her mind leading her to her former room. Pukai sat where she had left him, up against her pillow. He looked very lonely to her. His large beads-for-eyes stared at her, needing as much comfort as she did. She reached her thin, shaky arms out toward her stuffed animal and hugged him tightly. Suddenly, she felt weak at the knees and fell. Something warm pooled in the corners of her eyes.

She felt someone lift her up and onto their back. The woman ANBU craned her head around to look at her. She smiled. "You OK?" The girl nodded and relaxed. Karin left the house and headed through the thick and tall grasses of Kusagakure. The small girl could think of nothing. Her grip didn't release her stuffed panda. Not even after she had fallen asleep.

"Hey, wake up. We're here." The girl opened her weary eyes to find herself warm, sitting on a chair, in a building with men and women wearing masks. "Are you awake? This is the ANBU headquarters. Mr. Idda's going to want to talk to us about this. You just say what you know, OK?" The girl nodded and slid off her seat to follow Karin into another room.

A man sat at a desk, two chairs in front of the desk. Karin helped the girl into one seat, but she herself stood. Karin's voice was a little louder now.

"Sir, this is the only survivor found at the suspected seven-person homicide earlier. She has no family left. If anything, I suggest that new transfer ANBU from Konoha, the Uchiha."

The man's voice was average for a man about in his thirties. "Understood, Karin. Fetch him, will you?"

"Yes, sir!"

Karin left the room, leaving the girl with the man. He smiled kindly at her, trying to comfort her.

"So, let's start off easy, shall we? What's your name?"

"I don't got one." Somehow, words came slightly easier to her. She was a little more calm.

"Would you like one?"

"Yes, sir, I would like that very much."

"Well then, how about...Senari? Do you like that name?"

"Sen. I wanna be called Sen."

"OK then, _Sen, _was that your family who was killed tonight?" The girl-Sen-shrugged. "Do you know who did it?"

"My brother."

"Do you remember his name?" Sen shook her head. "Too bad...Listen, Sen, you're going to be staying with a guard ninja. He just recently came here from The Village Hidden in the Leaves. His name is Kei Uchiha." She tested out the name of the guard ninja.

"When will he be here?"

"Here he is right now." Almost as if on cue, the door opened. A tall, thin man entered the room. His hair was a dark blue-ish black color and the iris of his eyes were completely black. Mr. Idda asked Sen to leave the room and she went to sit outside the room.

She heard hushed voices, and she couldn't understand what they were saying. Until one man raised his voice.

"Why are you doing this? I didn't sign up to be some kind of a baby-sitter for some two-year-old kid who's probably going to be a troublesome brat!"

"Kei," came a calmer, slightly lower voice, "I know you didn't sign up for this. But we are **not **about to put her in an orphanage. She came from _that_ family, you know. And with that _thing _she's got inside her...I don't know if the orphanage can handle it. You know what to do. You used to work with your uh...Fourth...Hokage, right? That's who it was, wasn't it? Well, you know what to do with a Jinchuuriki. You guys handled the Kitsune. Nothing bad happened since the sealing, has it? With the emotional trauma she could be going through, I don't know if she can hold that thing back. And you know what to do. We don't. Just...do it for the better of Kusa, will you?"

She heard a sigh and the voices were hushed once more. Five minutes passed and then the door opened. The man with the black hair came out and smiled.

"Hi. You're Sen, right? I'm Kei." He stuck out his hand for her to shake and she simply stared at it. Awkwardly, Kei brought his hand back to his side and asked, "So...who's this little guy?" He pointed to Pukai.

Sen held her toy tighter and said, "He's Pukai. Don't touch him." Kei smiled at her and told her what was going on. After that Kei led her home and showed her her room. He turned the lights out for her and closed the door. Sen simply sat there, staring into the blackness of the room. She was alone, and so she would be for a long time.

She hardly slept that night.


	3. Instigation of Hate 3

Sen soon got used to living with Kei. He was always kind to her, but strict when he needed to be. He started to become more and more like a father, although he had no children of his own. Kei became more and more interested in how fluently Sen could form sentences at her age and the fact that she knew words most children two years older than her didn't know. Two years later, Sen had turned four and had to go to daycare, because Kei needed to get some things done around the village. The very first day of daycare went a little better than Sen thought it would.

"Are you sure you'll be OK, Sen?" Sen nodded. Kei smiled down at her as they walked.

In one arm, Sen was holding her ever-faithful stuffed panda. He had seen better days. Kei was holding her other hand, so she didn't get lost in the tall grasses. Soon, they reached the daycare. Kei opened the door and allowed Sen to go first. A large hallway with pale yellow walls and white tile stretched out before them. Several doors lined the hallway. One door said, "DAYCARE - AGES 4-6." Kei knocked on the door and a woman in a dark brown kimono stepped out of the room. She smiled and bowed respectfully.

"Hello! So glad you come! Kei and Sen, right?" Her voice was high pitched and young, like she was about Kei's age. Kei nodded and the woman looked down at Sen, smiling. She seemed to be slightly nervous. "You must be Sen. You're going to like it very much here."

Kei let go of Sen's hand and Sen immediately clutched Pukai with both arms. Kei kneeled down to Sen's level. "Be good for the teachers, OK? Don't cause any trouble with the other kids." Sen nodded and Kei kissed her on the forehead. The teacher smiled and opened the door for Sen.

Many childrens' voices filled the air. Slowly and cautiously, Sen walked in. Conversations hushed and carried on, but all eyes seemed to shift to her. There were two other teachers in the room, both women. There were a lot of children in the room, and there was only one table in the very back of the room that was completely empty. As Sen walked back there, children stopped coloring or finger-painting to stare at her or move so that she couldn't sit with them.

Sen sat down at the green table by herself. There were two dull pencils on the table and four blank pieces of paper. She hesitated, put picked up the pencil and began to sketch a swirly, vine-like design. No one spoke to her, no one sat with her. She continued to sketch for ten minutes. She heard the classroom door open over all the din. She didn't turn around or stop sketching.

Suddenly, she heard a cheery, "Hi! Can I sit here?"

Sen was startled, but didn't look up. She responded with a barely audible, "Sure."

Obviously, the boy heard her and sat down in front of her. He had icy blue eyes and messy, pale blonde hair. He was wearing a dark blue T-shirt and plain, light brown shorts.

He grinned and grabbed the other pencil and a piece of paper. "So...My name is Leri Seijitsu and I'm five. What's yours?"

"Senari...but usually just Sen. I suppose I'm Sen Uchiha, but...I'm not really an Uchiha. My foster father is...I'm four."

Leri seemed to like to talk, especially asking questions. Sen didn't mind. Soon, Sen and Leri had become friends and were talking and laughing just like all the other kids.

Six hours later, Kei came into the room to get Sen. "Sen, it's time to go. You'll be back tomorrow."

Sen slid off her chair. "OK. Bye-bye, Leri. I'll see you tomorrow."

Leri smiled and waved. "Bye!"

As they walked home through the tall grasses, Kei asked, "So how was your first day of daycare? I saw you made a friend."

"Good. His name is Leri. He's real nice." Sen smiled. "You should meet him tomorrow, Kei! I bet you'll like him!"

Kei smiled and chuckled. "I bet I will, Sen, I bet I will."

A few weeks later, Sen was still going to daycare and still friends with Leri. Leri had told her many things that she didn't know. He told her about how his dad had been a ninja, and all the things he'd learned about being a ninja. He said that as soon as he turned six, his mother was going to enroll him in the Ninja Academy. His dream was to be the Raimeikage, an unofficial leader of Kusagakure meant to keep peace in the village while their daimyo was fighting wars. He hated how violent the village was and wanted everyone to know a better lifestyle. Sen was astounded at how much thought he had put into these things. She knew nothing of being a shinobi, and was intrigued by all the abilities ninja had.

Sen opened the door and saw Kei sitting on the couch, wearing his reading glasses and book placed in his hands. "Kei! You're a ninja, right?" Kei put away his book slowly and took off his glasses.

"Why, yes. I'm an ANBU to be exact. But...what makes you ask that?"

"I wanna learn a jutsu! I wanna be shinobi, too! Me and Leri can go to the Academy together! Please, Kei? Please?"

He frowned. "Well, you'd have to learn how to control your chakra first...and that could take a while."

"Please, Kei! Teach me how! I wanna use jutsu!"

Kei smiled. "Alright. I'll teach you." Sen smiled and thanked him. Within four weeks, Sen was able to control her chakra as well as a genin level student.

"Can you teach me a jutsu now, Kei? Please?" Sen begged him.

_She has the Koinu, doesn't she...She should be able to use this jutsu, right? _Kei thought nervously. He masked his suspicions with a smile.

"OK, but you can't use this jutsu until you're in the Academy and you're asked to. Got it?"

"Got it!" Sen followed Kei outside and to a small area where there was no grass, simply a large pond. Kei told her what hand seals to use and where to focus her chakra. Then he demonstrated for her. He blew a large fireball, about five meters in diameter. Sen clapped and wanted to try.

She stood where Kei had. _Saru...I...Uma...Tora...Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu! _Focusing her chakra where she was supposed to, she blew a very small fireball, about a two and a half centimeters in diameter. Nonetheless, Sen couldn't help but laugh. "I did it, Kei, I did it! I did the fireball jutsu!"

Kei smiled. _Yes, you did, Sen. Yes, you did. _"Good job. You can practice it later if you want, but right now, you have to go in and eat your dinner."

"OK! Race you there!" Sen ran back to the house, Kei walking behind her.

_So I was right. She _does _have the Koinu. She'll make an extraordinary shinobi or kunoichi one day. _Kei couldn't help but wonder.


	4. Instigation of Hate 4

Sen and Leri were the best of friends, forever inseparable. They always did things together, for the three years that followed. However, Leri's mother seemed not to like Sen, although Sen didn't know why, and wouldn't allow them to spend more than four days a week for them to play together. Sen and Leri entered the Ninja Academy of Kusagakure together, and learned many things. Sen was partially ahead of everyone, because she already knew how to focus chakra, so-on-and-so-forth.

It wasn't long before Leri and Sen were put in seperate classes. Sen was placed in a very small class, about ten or less children, that were supposedly 'gifted as ninja,' while Leri was put in a larger, more usual class. The strict chunin and jonin teachers considered Leri's class to be so ordinary, in fact, that they often commented 'most in that class wouldn't get higher than chunin for the rest of their life.' This small setback did not hinder Leri nor Sen, and they still spent most days training together.

But this small setback soon grew, and became a large setback. Sen was so advanced in ninja skills and learned so quickly, she was placed to genin level. Because Sen was only six at the time and it didn't seem quite 'fair' to place a twelve-year-old against one half their age, she took a simple, written test that put her into a chunin ranking. At this point, she was placed in a team with two other ninja. These two other ninja were thirteen, more than double her age. Their names, though this may be irrelevant, were Tsuba and Midori. Because of the age difference, Midori found it funny to pit a fight against Sen, but he soon found out otherwise when he had to go to the hospital due to third degree burns. Tsuba never fought her.

Sen tried to find time to play with Leri, but their schedules were so different as Sen accelerated into a jonin, then ANBU ranking at age seven. Though she was ANBU, she was only allowed to go on up to C-rank missions. Because of her age, she wasn't allowed the tatoo on her shoulder, which she didn't mind. She wasn't too fond of the design anyway. She occasionally got a few hours to spend with her friend, but it was mostly in the evening, when she wasn't on missions. One day, Sen was returning from a visit with Leri.

As she entered the house and slipped her ninja-regulation shoes off, she could see Kei on the couch, something white clutched in his hand. He looked like he had been crying.

At the sound of the door closing, Kei turned. Sen smiled feebly at her foster-father. He smiled back, just as weakly as she had. He motioned for her to sit with him.

"Sen, come here, won't you? I need to talk to you."

Without hesitation, Sen walked over and sat with him. "What is it, Kei? What is wrong?"

Kei sighed, seeming to be finding words. "Sen, you know I love you as if you were my own blood daughter, right? And that, be it my choice, I would raise you to be the best person you could ever be?" Sen nodded, beginning to feel a pang in her own heart. "Well...Mr.Idda has informed me...that a woman named Siya has come forth, claiming to be your grandmother, though why it took her five years to do so is beyond me. We have no reason to doubt her and...she seems to be very pleasant. You'll be going to live with her in three days. I've seen her house...It's close to the village entrance, closer to Leri. She showed me your room. It's upstairs and there's a neat little bamboo forest where you can see pandas. You would like that, wouldn't you? She's coming over in an hour. You'll get to meet her. But...for now, you should probably go rest up. You must have had a rough day training with Tsuba and Midori, haven't you?"

Holding back her tears, Sen nodded. She stood up and walked to her room. She didn't bother turning the lights on. She saw better in the dark anyway. Grabbing Pukai, she lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her dull blue eyes began to cloud over. Before she knew it, a warm, clear liquid was flowing over her snow-white cheeks.

How could they do this to her? She was only seven, and it seemed to her cruel to be taking a girl away from the only family she knew and giving her to some stranger. Of course, that was only in her mind. She sat there like that for about fourty-five minutes.

_Please, my child, don't cry. Everything will be alright. I'll make it OK. _Sen bolted upright at the sound of the malicious, female voice. Looking around her room, she saw no one. She was alone in the darkness. She wiped tears from her eyes.

"Who...Who's there? Who are you?" Her voice betrayed her and was very shaky.

_I am you, I am part of you. I am _within _you. My name? You need only know I am Tsume, _the voice purred again.

"Why are you here? What do you want? Go away!"

_I want only to help you. I am here to comfort you, to make you stronger. I know what it is you want. I will teach you jutsu you never thought possible. I will lend you my chakra and strength when you need it. I am simply...a companion, if you will, a second half of an incredible whole. I only ask you do what I say, and that you will occasionally allow me control over your body. You know, every few battles, let me fight for you._

Sen felt compelled to thank the disembodied voice. She had no time repond to the voice, to Tsume, because she heard Kei calling her name.


	5. Instigation of Hate 5

As Sen exited her bedroom, she could hear a soft, woman's voice. It sounded very cheery. Kei poked his head around the corner to look at her, making sure she was coming. Sen smiled at him, and he smiled back.

Sen suspected that her eyes were most likely still slightly pink from crying. _Maybe she won't notice..._

_You're skin's too pale, child. If it is pink or red, she'll see it. _Sen had almost forgotten Tsume was there. She wasn't going to forget that again.

When the woman saw her, Sen could see the obvious joy in her eyes. Her hands flew over her mouth and there were tears pooling in the corners of her eyes.

"Oh, Sen! You were a newborn last time I saw you! You've grown up so much! You look just like-" She stopped herself and frowned. Turning to Kei, she cleared her throat. "My apologies. She probably doesn't even remember me. I really shouldn't have-"

"I remember you," Sen interrupted. "I...I mean, it's not like a specific memory but...I know you, from somewhere. I don't know where that 'somewhere' is but..." Her dull blue eyes were wide as the adults'. The cheery old woman, Siya, smiled. Her face was creased like so many pieces of paper when she smiled. When she frowned, it wasn't much better.

She wore a yellow and white checkered dress, which made her look like an overgrown lemon. Her dark hair and blue eyes were a significant signal of her relation to Sen. Sen was so used to the dark colors that she and Kei wore, she would have to get used to things Siya would wear. Silence covered the room like a heavy blanket. Sen fingered the end of her fancy brown dress nervously. She didn't even remember changing into it. A small voice in her head said something, and she automatically thanked Tsume.

Kei broke the silence. "Sen, why don't you go get Pukai? You can show him to Siya."

Sen smiled her simple, childish smile. "OK. I'll be right back." As she walked back to her room, she could hear Kei telling Siya about how they thought she might be hemeralopic, because of her inability to see in bright light.

The adults' hushed voices disappeared when Sen was far enough. She grabbed Pukai and not-so-quickly walked back to the adults. An hour or so later, Siya had to leave. Sen went to bed without a word that night. Tsume purred softly to her as she cried.

A few days later, Sen said her final goodbyes to Kei. He promised her he would visit every other day, as long as he wasn't on a mission. Siya wore a bright blue dress that day, more blue than the pieces of sky that Sen could see through the small areas between the grasses.

It took her a while to get used to living with the old woman. Kei did carry out his promise, which made her feel a bit better. She liked her room with the view of the pandas and how she was closer to Leri, but something didn't seem...right. No one hardly ever spoke. Sen began to feel like Siya was afraid of her. In fact, Sen thought _everyone _was becoming afraid of her. If she went anywhere, parents would pull their children away from her, dogs would whimper and slink away, and people either glared at her with such hate in their eyes, she thought their eyes would explode or they would act just like the dogs.

Soon, however, Kei quit his visitations. Sen cried every night he didn't come. Siya never told her it would be OK, or that Kei would come back soon. She just stared at her, like she was afraid. Many other bad things happened after that.

One such time, Sen had been with Siya and Leri, just walking. Just being around the free-spirited Seijitsu boy made everyone feel better. He always found a way to make Sen's face light up. They were simly speaking to one another and walking side by side. Leri was in the middle of a sentence. A shrill screech penetrate through his words.

"Leri! What did I tell you? Stay away from her! She's dangerous!" The three of them turned around to see Leri's mother coming towards them. Sen grabbed Siya's hand, and her grandmother held on tightly. Leri's mom grabbed his hand.

"But Mom, I was just talking to her. I-" He was cut off as his mother pulled him away from his best friend. The two children reached for one another's hand, touching fingertips before they were too far away. Sen cried out his name, tears rolling down her face. She knew she would never see him again. His mother didn't like her. He was gone. She went home with Siya. She didn't stop crying until she was asleep.

Sen's heart was broken, and she became a very cold person. She swallowed back insults nine times out of ten. She came up with many of her own jutsu. She also discovered many abilities she had. Simply by feeding her chakra into dirt, rock, or a plant, she could call forth vines that would bend at her will.

One night, Sen was sitting alone in her room. Her window was closed. From in the kitchen downstairs, Siya heard two screams, a break of glass, and something breaking wood. Startled and worried for her grandaughter's safety, Siya ran up the stairs.

When she opened the door to Sen's room, she lost her breath. There was broken glass on the floor, blood dripping over the clear glass. There was incredible amount of blood on the walls, the floor,and the ceiling. Sen was sitting in her bed, her knees up to her chest. Blood was spattered over her face and clothes. Between her arm and her chest was Pukai, squished. In her hand was a pot with a dead flower in it. Her hand was placed in the dry dirt of the pot.

Vines were curled up through the floorboards of the second-level room. They were twisted around their victim, like deadly snakes. The ends of the vines were twisted through the bottom jaw of the man, two coming out his mouth, one out of each eye, and three protruding from his nose. They also had buried themselves deep into the jugular veins in his neck, pierced his heart, and suspended him in the air. There was no way this man was still alive.

Siya raced past the suspended cadaver and to her shaken grandaughter. She scooped Sen and Pukai up in her arms. The pot fell from Sen's hands and clattered to the floor, breaking into hundred of pieces.

"A bad man tried to get in my room, Grandma," Sen whispered, visibly horrified of what she had done.

Siya whispered back, "I know, Sen, I know. Let's...Let's call the ANBU and...have them clean this up. You'll be alright...I promise."

What Siya didn't know, was that Sen had gotten a taste of the blood. Her first taste. She licked her lips, savoring the last, sweet, iron sensation as it filled her mouth. It was blood, and Sen liked it.

_You're a good girl, child. You did what I asked. I'm satisified...for now. _


	6. Instigation of Hate 6

Sen was soon very happy, because Leri would sneak out at night and they would go walk. No one knew, though, and they walked very late at night. Neither of them were supposed to be with one another, but they were friends and no one would stop that.

Even though she was happy, she was getting less and less happy every day. More things happened, she killed more people by accident. She had almost killed her teammate, Tsuba, at one point. People knew who had caused the murders, even though no one had the right evidence to prove it. They feared her. The only person who didn't fear her was Leri. If there was such thing, she believed Leri must've been her guardian angel.

Finally, she couldn't take it any more. She devised a scheme, and did all the research she needed. She knew when her grandmother was asleep, when she wasn't, and what nights she typically stayed up. She knew when she would do it, and how she would stay with her plan. She knew the sacrifices she would have to make. She realized she may never see Leri again and that her ranking would not only be a Missing Nin, but she would also be reduced to Genin.

She had a simple red backpack that would carry everything she needed: her headband, a few provisions and water, ninja tools, items that could restore chakra quickly, a few scrolls, her favorite book, and, of course, Pukai. She didn't know where she would go, but she was going somewhere. She wouldn't hesitate.

The night before she planned to pull it off she spent walking with Leri. They laughed a lot, and Sen tried to make it her best night ever. It would be her last with him. She couldn't help but go quiet occasionally, and Leri wondered what was wrong. As she was about to say goodbye, Leri stopped her.

"Sen, I have something for you." He smiled and dug something out of his pocket. When she saw the pale purple glint in the moonlight, Sen took a sharp intake of breath. Leri handed it to her and she inspected it.

It was beautifully carved. A light purple gem had been carved into a crescent moon and placed in a stone holder made of black string. It hung very loosely on a leather-like black string. Sen couldn't help but cry in awe of its beauty.

She put her arms around her friend's neck, hugging him. "Oh, thank you so much, Leri! It's so pretty! I love it!"

He grinned. "Don't ever take it off. If we ever lose one another, we can find each other by these necklaces. I have the blue sun. See?" Leri held it up so Sen could see. It was still so beautiful, Sen gaped. A sun-complete with triangular rays of light-was carved out of a deep blue stone and set in leathery black string just as Sen's was. "If I'm wearing this necklace and you're wearing that one, then we can tell who we are. We'll never forget." He smiled so sweetly, Sen almost had regrets of what she was going to do.

"Thank you very, very much. Leri. I love this necklace. But...I have to get home." She smiled, hiding her fears. "I'll see you tomorrow night," she lied. She turned her back and started to run.

"Sen?" There was a melancholy tone in Leri's voice. Sen turned around, fear rising in her throat once more. Leri was looking down, like he felt ashamed of something. "I...I know what you're going to do tomorrow. I'm not going to see you."

"Hey, what do you mean? Of course you're going to see me." Sen smiled. Her voice sounded nervous, which gave her away.

"I mean, I saw what you were writing the other day. You're running away tomorrow night, when everyone's asleep." He sniffed and Sen could tell he was crying. He looked up and smiled through his tears. "It's OK, though. It's what you wanna do, right? Well, don't let me hold you back! I'm going to train really hard while you're gone, and I'll finally beat you when you're back!" Leri used the back of his hand to wipe tears from his eyes and he sniffed once more. "I promise I won't cry when you leave. I won't mourn you at all. I'll look forward to seeing you, though. Hurry back, OK?"

Sen's eyes swelled with warm liquid and overflowed. She hugged Leri one last time. "I'm going to miss you more than anyone else I've ever known. You know I'll come back, for you. And then...Then we can go on an adventure together, right?"

"You know it. But for now, this adventure's all yours. Come back as soon as possible, OK?" Sen nodded and wiped tears from her own eyes. She didn't think he would find out, and didn't plan out all the crying. They said goobye one last time. That would be their last goodbye and there would be no more hellos exchanged between them.

The following night, the entire house was silent. Leri wouldn't be coming that night. When the time was right and her grandmother was asleep, Sen grabbed her red bag, slung it over her shoulder, slipped on her ninja sandals, and was gone. She opened the door and made sure no one was around. The only light there was besides the beautiful full moon was the beautiful crescent moon around her neck.

She ran until she came to the village entrance. There were no guards lately, since their daimyo had not yet chosen a recent war to begin. She didn't look back, she couldn't. If she looked back, she would be giving up everything she had worked for so far. Sen just walked and walked until dawn. She couldn't see the village entrance any more. The village was a simple little silhouette against the pink and blue morning sky. It would take another day before she was reported as a Missing Nin and the ANBU were sent after her. She had time to relax, but she would have to continue walking soon. Her only companions were the birds in the sky, the bugs on the ground, Pukai...and Tsume.


	7. Instigation of Hate 7

No one ever did find her, and Sen wandered aimlessly about all the shinobi countries. She was able to gather certain plants for food, but never needed to eat much. She loved walking around like she did, but she hardly met anyone human. Sen befriended a pack of wolves, and she named their leader Ferret. The eldest female's name was Day-lily. Ferret's pack followed her many places and protected her from dangers she didn't know about. They taught her to howl, like they all did.

A few weeks, maybe a month or so after she left Kusa, Sen was filled with an inexplicable amount of energy. She leaped through the trees, from branch to branch. Ferret's pack ran below her, their tongues lolling out one side of their mouths. Sen heard a sudden noise and stopped. The wolf pack stopped, too, their ears alert and tall.

Sen heard the cracking of twigs and the brushing of leaves. She drew her kunai, her favorite one. It was the maximum twenty-two centimeters long and incredibly sharp. The noises stopped and all was silent. Sen stood in a battle-ready stance. She heard a thick, deep roar and turned startled by the sudden noise. Something large and white hit her, and she was knocked unconscious.

Sen's eyes blinked open slowly. She was laying on something soft, white, and furry. Her head throbbed. The thing she was laying on was moving, _walking _more precisely. The ground was far below her. She turned her head as she saw a white-haired man staring at her. His face was pale with fear. A large scroll was tied to his back. The throbbing in Sen's head soon lulled her to sleep.

The soft thing Sen had been laying on was gone. Only the cold, hard ground and the fog surrounded her. Her head had stopped throbbing, but she was still confused.

"Are you OK?" Sen saw a young boy with long black hair staring at her through feminine brown eyes. He smiled at her.

"Um...yes...Where...Where am I...?" Sen's breath escaped her, as though she had been hit in the stomach.

"You're in the Village Hidden in the Mist. Or...the outskirts of it, at least." He seemed to relax a moment. He smiled kindly again. "My name is Haku. What's yours?"

"Um...my name? Oh, Sen. Do you...know how I got here?"

Haku frowned and thought. "No. Sorry. I came out here when Master Zabuza told me to collect firewood. And here you were, laying in the flowers." He picked one of the small, pale purple flowers that were growing around her. "They seem to like you. Not only the flowers...but the animals as well. They never come around this way." A crow squawked and flew off with feathers trailing it. Haku seemed to enjoy the company of the wild animals.

He stood up and brushed off his blue male kimono. He reached out his hand toward Sen. "Why don't you come and meet Master Zabuza? He raised me, you know."

Sen gratefully took his hand and brushed herself off. Haku did have a relatively androgynous appearance, but Sen didn't mind. She happily walked with him, picking up firewood along the way. The two of them talked with one another as they walked, and soon became very well acquainted.

Sen could hardly see more than two feet in front of her, due to the consistent mist that gave the village its name. But when they reached the small wooden cabin, Sen could see it very well. Haku opened the door without knocking and led her inside. It was rather dark inside the house, but no one seemed to mind.

The smell of fire was a relaxing and warm smell, and Sen liked it. Haku showed her where to put the firewood. Sen tried to stack it as gently and neatly as he had, but she had no luck. He laughed and helped her stack it.

When that job was finished, Haku said to no one in particular, "Master Zabuza, I'm home and I've brought a new friend. Would you like to meet her?"

A deep voice answered, "Haku, if it's another bird, I swear I'll drown it." A tall man walked out of a hallway. He had bandages around his mouth and his pants had vertical lines on them. A large sword was strapped to his back. "Well, well. You _didn't _bring home another dumb bird again, Haku. I'll have to say I'm impressed. So, kid, what's your name and where are you from?" He asked, as he sat down on a simple wooden chair.

"Senari, sir. Or...Sen, if you wish. I am from the Grass Village." Sen bowed respectfully.

"Senari, huh? Interesting name. I'm Zabuza Momochi. Where's your family at and why aren't you with them?"

Sen looked down at her feet, her hands clutched to the straps of her red backpack. "My brother took their lives and did not take mine as well. I ran away from home a few weeks ago."

"That's too bad. So you're an orphan. So's that ten-year-old boy standing beside you. Right, Haku?"

Haku smiled. "I am no longer an orphan, thanks to you, Master Zabuza."

"Anways, Sen, you don't got a place to stay do you?" Sen shook her head no. "What were you thinking? Didn't you have a plan when you ran away?"

"I was only thinking of getting away. Nothing further than that..."

Zabuza sighed and shook his head. "Well then, here's my invitation. You can stay here with us for a while, if you like. I see you're a ninja, so you can train with us, too."

Sen smiled. "Thank you, sir. I would like that very much."

And so Sen stayed with Haku and Zabuza. She trained with them and helped Haku with chores. He seemed pleased there was someone else to talk to. Zabuza taught Sen how to fight with a bo or a rokushakubo. She liked to fight with it and could do some pretty impressive moves with it. It also dealt some nasty blows.

Sen would often try out new, different moves on Zabuza, using her bo. One such day, she and Zabuza were training. Haku had to run some errands. When he was back, Zabuza would be teaching him a new jutsu.

Sen held her bo out, in the typical stance. Zabuza swung his Guillotine Sword in a horizontal position. As it came close, Sen jumped and stuck the bo in the open circle of the sword. This held the sword firm and, as a new move, stunned Zabuza. In that same instant, Sen swung herself up and around to the top of the bo before launching a kick directly at Zabuza's face. She stopped herself right as her foot was two centimeters away from the temple on the right side of his face.

Her face showed no expression. "I just killed you, sensei."

A moment passed before Zabuza laughed. "Very good! That was very unexpected. You're getting faster every time we practice."

Haku, who had returned home before Sen tried out her new move, clapped for his young friend. "That was a very nice move, Sen! You're getting very good!" Sen smiled and blushed at the praise of the two.

Another day, Zabuza told Sen he was ready to see how well she could fight without her bo. The two of them stood outside, each in battle-ready position. Sen looked down and her entire body began to shake.

Zabuza chuckled. "Look at you. You're shaking. You must be terrified."

Sen looked up and wiped a tear from her eye, a large smile plastered across her face. "No...It's...it's not that...It's...It's Haku...he's...he's making faces..."

"What the heck...?" Confused, Zabuza turned around and looked at Haku. "What're you doing?"

Haku smiled sweetly. "What do you mean? I wasn't doing anything."

Sen enjoyed the two years she stayed with Haku and Zabuza. She learned a lot of things from the two of them. Haku became like a brother to her, and Zabuza like a father. But like all bad things, all good things must eventually come to an end...


	8. Instigation of Hate 8

At one point, after learning jutsu from not only Haku, but Zabuza as well, Sen felt as though she had overstayed her invitation. She packed all her things, including a wooden bo Haku had handmade for her. She told them she would be leaving, and they stood outside to say goodbye to her. She gave them each a hug, and the now nine-year-old girl was once again on her way to who-knows-where.  
Sen met up with Ferret's pack. She remembered once, when she had gone through a village, a group of younger children had begun to call her a witch and that the wolves were her familiars. She shut them up quickly, and their parents were mourning for a long while.  
Sen wandered randomly, north one day, east another. She chose which way she would continue each morning. Most of the time, she ended up in a village. Her favorite village she had been to was the Village Hidden in the Waterfalls. There were a lot of children her age there, and not too many of them made fun of her. She didn't necessarily have friends in Takigakure, but she didn't have enemies, either. And that was a good thing in her book.  
There were also a lot of villages she hadn't yet been to, such as Konohagakure, Otogakure, Kumogakure and Sunagakure, to name a few. Out of all the places she had been and all the people she had seen, she still only had a few friends: Haku, Zabuza, and the one boy she would never forget, Leri.

Another year passed, and nothing much happened. I turned ten, but I still stuck with Ferret and the rest of his pack. I never settled down by myself in one village. I trained by myself every day, coming up with new and more deadly jutsu. The necklace Leri gave me never came off my neck, even when I was fighting, which, I'll admit, I seemed to do a lot.

Tsume never talked much, but occasionally wanted to fight in my place. I let her, and watched all the strange jutsu she used. Sometimes, she would teach me one, but not too often. _It takes away the exhilaration of learning them on your own, _she would always tell me. Together, we enjoyed the taste of blood. I always liked the flavor of it, since the incident when I was seven, and still in Kusagakure.

Pukai was ever-faithful, always sitting in my sun-faded red bag, his head poking out as he kept watch behind me. Although I spent a lot of time in the sun, enough to fade my blood-red bag to a pale and light red, my skin always stayed snow-white. I figured, it was normal for everyone to have pale skin like I did. A few times, when I played with the growing wolf puppies, the red rose would bloom behind my ear. Day-lily would lick it, and I would always say, "Silly wolf! That's a flower, not a wound. I don't need it cleaned." Of course, I don't get how a wolf, let alone Day-lily, could clean something by licking it. Her breath smelled horrible all the time.

Once, it was a dark, dark night, with a few stars out and a full moon. I was laying back in an open patch of land with the pack, outside of some village. I stroked Ferret's back as the Wolf-king slept. Day-lily, who had just recently had a small litter of pups, was laying on her back, her paws in the air. She must have been incredibly tired. Her pups were curled around her sides, sleeping as soundly as the rest of the pack.

Suddenly, Ferret's head jolted upright. I pulled my hand slowly as he sat up and sniffed the air. He growled and barked to the rest of the pack. The others got up, too. Day-lily clamped her jaws around two of the pups, and another wolf grabbed the last one for her. They all ran into the neighboring woods, leaving Pukai and I behind. I sat completely still, listening and looking. And I heard it. It was whispering, the whispering of three people, two boys and a girl. A genin team, perhaps? I wasn't taking any chances. I scrambled underneath a pine tree, pressed my back against the trunk and put my knees up to my chest.

Five, ten, fifteen minutes passed and the trio got closer. I could hear distinct words now, and voices. One male voice picked up in the middle of a sentence.

"...Why he sent us on this mission anyway."

The female voice answered, "We know, we know, Zaku! Can't you just shut up for once?"

The other male voice contradicted her. "You have to admit, Kin, this mission was a little too easy for the three of us. Lord Orochimaru said it would take us a week, and we finished with two days to spare." I held my breath as they stopped. I could see their ninja shoes right in front of me, only a few feet from my own.

The first male voice, Zaku, spoke once more. "Hey Dosu, did you just hear something?"

Silence. The second male voice, Dosu, replied, "No. Why? Did you?"

"Yeah...I could've sworn I heard a twig crack or something."

The female voice, Kin, inquired, "Maybe it was just a twig, Zaku. Or maybe it was your stupid mind playing tricks on you."

"Shut up!" Zaku was audibly angry with her. It thickened the air and made me a little nervous. I scooted backwards a little bit, and accidentally stepped on a stick. It made a small cracking noise. Two pairs of footsteps receded, but two feet stayed. "Did I just hear...?" I closed my eyes. Zaku kneeled and peeked underneath the pine tree. I could hear him gasp when he found out that there was a girl underneath the tree! "What're you doing under here?"

I opened one eye and quickly closed it again. Although it was a fleeting glance, I got a good enough look at him. He had dark brownish-black hair. He was wearing a yellow shirt with red writing on it, which didn't match his grey camoflauge pants. He was also wearing a strange, headband-like thing that looked like it had either been made out of stone or metal.

"Hello? I said, what are you doing under there?" I buried my face in my knees, refusing to talk. Maybe if I played dead, he would go away. He turned away, but didn't leave. "Hey Kin, Dosu, come here. I found something."

Kin sighed. "Zaku, knowing you, it's probably a plastic bag or a dead squirrel."

Dosu joked, "It'd better be a dead squirrel, because if it's a plastic bag, you're dead."

Zaku said, "No, no. It's different!" The other two came over and kneeled down beside him. Dosu had bandages over his mouth and one eye. Kin was very pretty, with black hair and feminine eyes. "See? I told you it was different!"

"You found a girl, Zaku. Out of all the places on the Earth, you found a girl." Kin sighed. "What now? Does she talk?"

"Well...she hasn't yet..." Zaku looked down.

Dosu said arrogantly, "We'll just have to make her talk, won't we?" He poked my arm. "Hey, what's your name?" I realized I wasn't going to get them to go away if I didn't talk to them. I said my name, plain and simple. They all stared at me, as if they were shocked that I could speak.

"Um...Please don't do that. It...makes me nervous." I said quietly. They asked me a bunch of questions, and I asnwered them truthfully. Zaku asked me if I could come out from under the tree, and I did. I found out that Zaku, Dosu, and Kin were all members of 'Team Dosu.' I sat with them near the woods, listening to their story. It was mostly Zaku who talked.

"So, Lord Orochimaru sent us on this mission, and we finished early. Oh yeah! I almost forgot, we're from the Sound Village. We're all eleven."

Eleven?! They all looked like they were fifteen! "The Sound Village? I've never heard of that place."

Dosu said, "Zaku, shut up. You said too much." Zaku blushed and apologized.

Suddenly, a pack of wolves came running out of the woods. The leader of the pack pounced on me, knocking me backwards. Instinctively, Zaku tried to shove the wolf off of me. That is, until he realized I was laughing. "Ferret! Get off me!" I kept laughing as Ferret licked my face. "I'm OK, I'm OK! These people are my friends, Ferret!" Ferret stepped back nervously, eyeing them all. Day-lily sniffed at Dosu and Zaku, but figured Kin was nice enough and didn't need to see if she was harmful.

"Sen," Kin began, "What are these wolves doing...?" Her voice was nervous, as if she was afraid of them.

"Oh, these are my friends. They won't hurt you, as long as you don't hurt me or them." They seemed to think this was weird, but they soon forgot about it. I talked with them for a while, before they had to go. And when they left, Ferret's pack and I were on our way somewhere else.

The next day, Ferret and the rest of his pack had to go out hunting. I let them go without me, but planned to stay in the same area. I caught fish in a small stream, putting them in a basket I had weaved all by myself, from some plant fibers and vines that I found. Of course, I didn't have a hook or a fishing pole, but all I needed was a simple jutsu that confused the fish and they came right to me. I had about four fish in my basket when I heard a growling noise.

I looked up and saw a matted, thin-looking pack of wolves staring at me form across the stream. This definitely wasn't Ferret's pack. I slowly put my bag on my back, leaving the fish basket there. I slowly stood up and backed away as the wolves advanced, teeth bare and spit drooling from their lips. Suddenly, I started running, the wolves followed. I turned as I ran to look behind me.

Right when I noticed the wolves were no longer following me, I ran into a black figure and fell. I rubbed my forehead and looked up. My eyes grew wide with horror and I tried to scoot backwards. The figure grinned at me maliciously.

He hissed, "I've been looking for you, you know."

At that moment, when I saw his face I realized who he was. Something not even my nightmares could conjure up. tsume's interest was sparked and she looked out my eyes to see this new face. His skin was split into black and white sections and a large plant addition engulfed his entire head. His eyes were yellow and pupilless. He wore a black cloak with red and white clouds on it.

"Z-z-z...Ze...z...Zetsu..." My breath escaped me as fear began to make my heart skip.


	9. Instigation of Hate 9

Zetsu grinned at me, malice in his eyes. "Its been a long time since I've last seen you, sister. My, how you've grown. And you're a ninja, too. How cute."

"What...What do you want from me...? Why...why are you...why are you here?" Fear bubbled in my throat. Pure fear. This was the one thing I was terrified of.

My older brother.

_This is him, child. This is the one on which you shall wreak your revenge. _Tsume sounded ecstatic, happy even.

"I said this already. I've been looking for you for a longer time. Leader thinks that you may be an asset to the Akatsuki."

"Does that mean that...that you're going to kidnap me?" Something ticked away in my mind, telling me to call to Ferret.

He smiled and seemed to find this amusing. "Not if you cooperate."

I calmed down a bit. My plan unfolded. "One last thing, if you will." He sighed, both halves of him. It was like two people sighing at once. I bit my bottom lip and rose my face up to the sky. I howled as loud as I could, as long as I could, wavering in the right places so Ferret knew it was me. I stopped and heard howls coming back at me. Then I heard the longest and loudest howl of all. And it was close. I could hear Ferret's feet bounding over the dead leaves in the forest, snapping twigs as he ran. He knew I was in trouble. He counted me as an adopted daughter, and he protected me like he protected the actual pups.

Zetsu seemed angry. "What did you just do? Witchcraft? Are those wolves your familiars? Come on, you're coming with me, whether you like it or not." He grasped my wrist tightly and yanked me to my feet. It hurt. I pounded his arm with my free fist as hard as I could. He only laughed and drug me along behind him. I began to cry and scream. He was too strong. I buried my teeth into his hand and he only slapped me in the face. "Don't do that. I bite back." With those words, I remembered the smell of blood on his breath that night. I realized what he meant. My brother was a cannibal.

_Don't fight, child. He's taking you somewhere that I know. This will make you stronger, like him. _Better _than him. However...it will not be pleasant._

Thoughts swarmed in my mind. Was he going to eat me? Tsume had to have been mad, telling me not to fight. He was going to kill me! He wouldn't hesitate! I would be dead in a matter of minutes against his brute strength! My ninjutsu wouldn't stand a chance! I began sobbing. I knew I was going to die. He would kill me in the most torturous way he could think of. Maybe he would cut me open and make me dance until my insides fell out. Or maybe he would drive pins into my head and use a lightning jutsu to fry my brain. Perhaps he would use a genjutsu on me, make my arms melt or maybe he would cut each of my fingers off, one by one. Either way, I was going to die and he was going to eat me.

Tsume purred, trying to calm me down. I only sobbed and sobbed, my wrist going numb from the consistent pain. Zetsu said nothing, until he began to run. By then, I was hoarse and tired. He picked me up and put me on his back. I didn't care anymore if I was riding on the back of a cannibal, of my worst fear. I only wanted to go to sleep. I probably would never wake up, but then again, better sleep and die than live and suffer.

"Hey! Wake up! Why are you asleep?" Zetsu stared me in the face, hate glimmering in his yellow eyes.

"Oh...I'm sorry...I'm...I'm tired." I yawned.

"Get over it! If you're tired, sleep on your own time!" I sat up and scoped out where we were. I was on the ground, near a large body of water and a _very _big stone wall. "Anyone ever teach you to walk on water, sister?" I nodded. "Good. Follow me." I realized he hadn't grabbed my wrist, and he wasn't forcing me. However, he did have the same malice in his voice that intimidated me.

I followed him, walking on the water, until we found a secret entrance. Zetsu made sure I was following and entered the dark hole in the wall. I hesitated.

"Come on! I've almost hit the deadline for my mission and Leader's going to be ticked if I don't get in here soon!" I ran in, following my brother into the darkness. I couldn't see a thing. A door opened ahead of me and I could see a small, flickering light. I could hear voices and laughter. I followed Zetsu as quickly as I could, before he closed the door.

The entire room was made of stone. It was like we were in a cave. I think we were. There was a room to my right with a fireplace and several chairs and sofas. To my left was a dark tunnel and a door with writing on it right ahead of the tunnel. The door said, "WARNING: AKATSUKI TORTURE ZONE." Directly ahead, there was a kitchen-like area and a large table. To the left and right of that were two more dark tunnels.

Zetsu led me into the room at my right. "Hidan, Itachi, Kakuzu. Meet Sen." Three men turned around to look at me. One had black hair, red eyes and strange lines on his face. Another had grey hair, light purple eyes and he was carrying an odd, red, three-bladed scythe. The last had green eyes and was wearing a mask. They were all wearing the same outfit my older brother was.

They all laughed when they saw me. The one with green eyes commented, "So, Zetsu, who's the kid?"

"That _kid _is my little sister, Kakuzu." Zetsu was serious, yet they all laughed once more.

The one with the black hair commented, "Yeah, right, Zetsu. Knowing you, she's probably your dinner."

The one with the grey hair demanded, "Tell us who the hell she is, Zetsu. We have a right to know."

Zetsu seemed to be getting angry. "I told you already. She's my sister. She's ten and her name is Sen. She's the one _Leader _said would be an asset to the Akatsuki, so shut up, all of you." They all rolled their eyes and went back to one of their conversations of women, death, power, and many other things. Men were all so typical.

On our way back toward the kitchen area, a man passed us. He had blue skin and white eyes with no iris, only a pupil in each eye. He almost looked like he had gills. There was a large sword tied to his back, wrapped in bandages. Zetsu stopped him.

"Kisame, I'd like you to meet my younger sister. Her name's Sen." The man, Kisame, peeked around Zetsu to see me. I felt like I would be able to trust this person, so I smiled. He smiled back.

"Hi, Sen. Are you a ninja?"

"Yes, sir. I'm an ANB-" Zetsu clamped his hand over my mouth. Instictively, I bit his hand. This time, he pulled his hand away in pain.

"Damn it, girl, that hurt!" He glared at me.

Kisame laughed. He held his hand out to give me a high-five. "Good job. Teaching Zetsu some manners, huh? He needs them. Good luck with that." He walked off laughing. I simply smiled.

"Don't think you'll be getting away with that," Zetsu growled. "There's rules around here. Just because Kisame thinks it's funny doesn't mean you can do it. Got that? You'll get beat up around here for doing things like that." I nodded and hung my head in shame, laughing silently to myself. I followed my new brother to the kitchen-like area. There was a man standing in there, in the same black and red cloak everyone else was wearing. He was also wearing an orange mask with a black swirl design on it. "Tobi, I want you to meet someone."

He turned around. "Hmn? What is it, Mr. Zetsu?"

"Tobi, this is my sister, Sen. She'll be staying with us, as a new member."

"Oh! A new member!" Tobi leaned down to my level, inspecting my face closely. "She smells like fish and wet dog. Or...wolf, maybe? Still, nice to meet you, Sen. Tobi is a good boy." I gave him a strange look, but said hi anyways. "How old is she?" Zetsu told him my age. "Goody! Kaede will be pleased to hear there's a new member her age!"

I followed Zetsu once more, toward the tunnel to the left, near the kitchen-like area. He led me to a door made of stone. He knocked on the door. Another male voice answered.

"One second, hmmm!" A moment later, someone opened the door. He had blonde hair and one eye was covered. I noticed he used the tips of his fingers instead of his whole hand. "Oh, Zetsu. It's you, hmmm. What is it?"

"Deidara, I'd like you to meet my younger sister, Sen. She's going to be a new member. Leader recommended her." Deidara looked down at me. He smiled at me. I smiled back.

"Hi. I'm Deidara. I'd shake your hand but..." He held up one hand and I realized why he only used his fingertips. There was a mouth on the palm of each of his hands. I smiled frailly, trying not to seem apalled. He laughed. Soon, Zetsu introduced me to a few other people: Konan and Sasori. I didn't like Sasori: he scared me, but I liked Konan. She was nice to me. Zetsu told me there was one person left I needed to meet. He said I would have to be on my 'best behavior,' so he wasn't booted out of the Akatsuki.

The room we went to was very far entangled in the dark corridors of what I discovered was the Akatsuki lair. Zetsu knocked on the door and waited for an answer before he opened the door and rushed me in. He closed the door behind me. There was a figure sitting at a desk shrouded in shadows, their hands folded neatly over the desk. The only thing I could see clearly about him was his eyes. Zetsu seemed intimidated by the figure.

"What is it now, Zetsu? I'm very busy, you know." The voice was quietly menancing, and somewhat like a cat's purr.

"Well, sir, I have brought my sister, as you ordered." Zetsu didn't look directly at the figure.

"Yes, and you're almost past your deadline, too. You better not have messed up." The figure stood up and stepped around his desk. He had orange hair and a lot of piercings on his face. Folding his arms behind his back, he inspected me, even checking my eyes for disease, the way a slave trader might. He nodded. "Good job, Zetsu. Now, for her..." He turned to me and smiled. It scared me. "My name is Pein. Welcome to the Akatsuki." He reached his hand out for me to shake it, and, hesitantly, I did. Pein explained everything to me, how he was the leader of the Akatsuki, and how everything worked around the Akatsuki lair. Then, Zetsu showed me my room. It was very far back into the stone corridorss. It was a medium sized room, and there were shelves covering every wall in the room, except a small stone slab against the wall in the middle of the room that I guessed was where the bed was supposed to go. I asked my brother why there were shelves all over the walls and he told me he didn't know. He said I do could whatever I wanted with them.

I thought living with the Akatsuki would be easy, until Zetsu laid down his rules and enforced them.


	10. Instigation of Hate 10

Zetsu's rules were as follows:

1. I could not talk without being spoken to first.  
2. I could not argue with him or another Akatsuki member.  
3. I could not lie to him or another Akatsuki member.  
4. I must obey any and all orders from Zetsu or another Akatsuki member.  
5. I must call all members a respective title, never by their given name.

And a few others. If I didn't follow any of Zetsu's rules, he would punish me as he saw fit. No matter it was that I did, it most likely hurt. Sometimes he would yell and get angry, others times he would hit me or use a weapon on me. Jutsu was never used as a punishment, however.

I adopted a new outfit, the same one most Akatsuki members wore beneath their cloaks. It was a simple black outfit: a black pair of pants with a black, low cut T-shirt that had fishnet to make up for the low collar. I didn't have a cloak of my own, although I was often known as 'The Rat of the Akatsuki,' due to the fact I could blend into a village easily without being recognized.

"Please, Brother, stop the genjutsu!" I cried. I had argued, and was paying the price. Zetsu had used kunai to nail my hands to the wall, down by my sides. "It hurts!" Tears streamed down my face.

Zetsu stared at me, no care in his eyes. "It's not a genjutsu, Sen. This is something you must get used to. It's called 'pain,' and yes, it _will _hurt. It's the only thing that will make someone as weak as you stronger." I cried and asked him to get the kunai out of my hands. "The more you cry and scream, the longer you'll deal with it. Quit your infantile sniffling and get used to it." My breath wavered and tears ran slowly down my face now. I could see a bright blur of red on each of my hands, only a blur because of my loss of blood.

Five minutes passed and Zetsu decided he'd heard enough of my crying. He took the kunai away and left me there. I brought my shaky and red hands up to my face. My knees buckled. My tears mixed with my blood and made a pink colored, salty liquid. I sat there, on my knees, leaning against the wall. I could feel the blood on the wall soaking into the shoulders of my shirt. Voices called to me inside my head, luring me into the dark warmth of eternal sleep. I felt cold and tired, and wanted so badly to join those voices.

"Hey, are you all right? That's a lot of blood." The kindest voice inquired. I opened my weary eyes to see Kisame standing in front of me. The image of him swam in front of my eyes. He seemed worried by the sound of his voice. He kneeled down and pulled something out of the numerous inside pockets of the Akatsuki cloak. "Here, hold your hands out. Kaede made this ointment for all of us to take on missions." He spread some kind of purple goo on my hands, over the deep wounds in the palms of my hands. I didn't know who this Kaede person was, but I knew I was in a great debt to them.

We talked until he finished. I could see clearly now, and no longer felt lightheaded. I sat there for a moment after he left, listening to Tsume purring as she slept. I decided to go to my room. I had changed it after a few months. The shelves now had aquariums and cages on them. The things that were inside included snakes, lizards, frogs, toads, various insects, and some rodents. My favorite, however, was a baby blue snake I had acquired from another Akatsuki member. Konan had given her to me, but she only told me it originaly belonged to another member, and didn't tell me who. I named her Ame. She was a very sweet snake and never bit anyone but the feeder mice.

Pein soon became worried over the fact that I might fall behind other shinobi my age in my training, so he decided that I would have a sensei within the other Akatsuki members. Unannounced to me, he had already chosen. One day, he called Deidara and I into his office. We both stood in front of our leader, our heads hung in respect.

"Sen, you know that I believe you need a sensei, correct?" I said yes. "Well, I know the two of you have already met, but...Sen, please meet your new sensei, Deidara." Deidara looked up at Pein, surprise in his one visible eye.

"Leader, I'm sorry, but are you serious, hmmm?! I mean, I'm a very busy person and I don't have any time for some brat I can't blow up."

"Deidara, we _all _are very busy and don't have the time. _You _have the most time on your hands," Pein instisted.

"Fine, fine. I suppose I'll teach the little brat, hmmm. When am I supposed to start?" Deidara seemed very unhappy.

"Right now." Deidara's eye shot open, but he sighed with acceptance. He nodded and signaled for me to follow. I followed him out of Pein's office and to a secret door I'd hadn't seen before. Past the door, it was like a hollow built into the rock. There was grass, trees, and everything you might see outside. I could hear birds chirping, and insects buzzing. The sun beamed down hot, bright rays of light.

Deidara turned to me, his arms folded. "So, you're name's Sen, huh? Does that mean you're going to kill a _thousand_ people while you're in the Akatsuki, hmm?" Deidara burst out laughing. I frowned.

"I don't get it. What's the joke?"

"'Sen' means 'thousand'. What do you mean you don't get it? Sen, thousand, Sen kills a thousand people, hmm. Get it?"

"My name means 'line'. Not 'thousand.'"

"Same thing, hmm! It means both! Let's get some things set straight here, OK? I'm Deidara, hn." He took one step to the left. "Now, I'm Deidara sensei. I guess I'll be teaching you from now on, un." It wasn't long before Deidara sensei, or Sensei as I called him most often, and I got along great and our training sessions didn't end with him getting irritated. He treated me like Tobi at the beginning, but he began to treat me as an equal soon enough.

I was sent on many missions with different Akatsuki members, and mostly claimed the blood of the enemy, unless I was with my brother. The Akatsuki had one computer that anyone was allowed on. Mostly, it was for documents that couldn't be put on a scroll. All the other members could have passwords on their documents, but I wasn't allowed to have any passwords. I used it to keep track of the experiments I performed. I was allowed a small room, other than my own room, for my experiments. Mostly, I worked with insects and rodents. By time I was eleven, I was working on an experiment that had been attempted by many, many scientists and failed every time. Even the fabled Aburame clan of the Leaf Village were expected to have failed at it. There were two breeds of butterflies, a purple one that was incredibly easy to train and a black and blue one that was incredibly poisonous when it wanted to be, but it was also incredibly hard to to train. If these two butterflies were to have offspring, then Shinobi warfare would be enhanced greatly. However, ever time someone would place two of these butterflies together, the purple one would die.

One day, I was on the way to my experiment room when I heard someone yelling. "Tobi! Get your butt back here, now! Pein put me in charge of you today, so you had better listen to me!" It was a female voice, one I was unfamiliar with. A small thought passed through my head before something struck me. I mean literally, something actually hit me. I was knocked to the ground, and whatever it was kept running. I was dazed but I realized it was Tobi running away from someone, and I wondered what was going on. "Tobi! I'm gonna kill you!" I heard the voice yelling again.

A girl turned the corner. She had long, auburn hair pulled back in a braid and was wearing a lot of fishnet. At the sight of me, she stopped. "Who're you?" she demanded.

I bowed respectfully. "Senari, ma'am."

"Oh, hey, you're Zetsu's sister, aren't you? Yeah, I've heard quite a bit about you. Especially from fish-face about you getting nailed to the wall. I see you're still wearing the bandages."

"Oh, um, yes...It still stings."

"I bet! Anyways, I'm Nikki Kaede. I'm the poison specialist."

"Glad to meet you. I'm...I'm, uh..."

She laughed. "The Rat of the Akatsuki? Yeah, I heard. It's amazing how you've been here for a year and we haven't even met!" I smiled. Kaede and I talked for a while before she had to go back to finding (and punishing) Tobi.

By time I was twelve, I knew a lot of things. But what I never counted on was what I would find when I was sent on a simple, two-year mission with Zetsu.


	11. Instigation of Hate 11

"Sen, Zetsu, I am trusting the two of you with a certain mission." Pein said, a serious look painted across his pierced face. "I need you to go to The Village Hidden in The Leaves to keep watch on a few things. First off, Zetsu, I need you to keep watch on you-know-who's activity. We all know he's up to something since he left. Second, I need you two to scope out the Chunin Exams results. Sen, that can be your job, and in the mean time, you can compete in the Chunin Exams as well. Neither of you must get caught. I'll send a few members occasionally to check on the two of you. There's another former Akatsuki headquarters near there that you both can stay in. Sen, you'll be delighted to hear there's old scrolls with Akatsuki profiles there that you can read." I smiled. Pein chuckled and coninued, "This will take relatively two years. Can I trust the two of you with this?" Zetsu and I said 'Yes, sir' at the same time. "Good. Please leave by tomorrow." We left the room and I went into my room to pack my things.

"I expect you to be up and ready to go by eleven a.m. tomorrow morning. Got it?" Zetsu threatened me. I nodded without a word.

My heard pounded furiously as I packed my small, red bag. It had been with me all these years. I couldn't wait until tomorrow. I wondered if Kaede might be able to go with us, but I figured that Zetsu wouldn't allow it.

The next morning, I was up at my usual time: six a.m. Usually, Sensei and I would be training, but not this morning. He had been informed of the mission Zetsu and I were being sent on. I tied my Grass headband, without the typical Akatsuki 'scratch' I might add, around my waist and under my shirt. I had learned to do so when I was stabbed in the stomach while on a mission. I bid them all farewell, silent as I was. I told Kaede, who was a very close friend already, that I might see her later. In her negative way, she told me she hoped I wasn't going to die, and I told her there was no way I would. As I told them goodbye, I couldn't help but think of Leri, and my ecstatic mood grew sullen.

The journey to the Leaf Village was relatively quiet. It took only two days for us to get there, by noon one day. Neither Zetsu nor I spoke over five words in a day.

We stood in the foliage, hiding as only our kind could, watching the Leaf guards shift nervously from foot to foot. Zetsu turned to me and whispered;

"Don't you dare get attatched to any of these damned Leaf ninja, OK? They're nothing but weaklings. I know how much trouble you like to cause, but don't do it. We can't draw attention ourselves. And you _know _what will happen if you make friends with these...these...oh, what's a word?"

"Hereditary diseases?"

"Good idea." _No it's not. _I hissed mentally. _It's dumb, and so are you for agreeing with it. _"Whatever you do, don't draw attention, got it?" I nodded.

_Pft. How do _you _not draw attention? _A vile thought entered my mind. I had become much colder in not only my personality, but also my words. I couldn't help but insult people, but sometimes I had the strength to hold it in. However, Zetsu was right. I _did _know what would happen if I made friends and he knew about it. I had once made a friend and Zetsu found out. He kidnapped her and beheaded her in front of me.

"Hey! Idiot! Are you deaf, too? Go, already!" I realized as I was thinking Zetsu had been telling me to go.

"Oh! My apologies, Oniisan!" I said and bowed. I could tell he was itching to slap me. I went ahead before that could happen. I showed the guards my headband with the Grass symbol on it and told them I was here for the Chunin Exams. They let me pass.

I heard one of the guards say to the other, "Hey, Genma, doesn't that girl look sort of suspicious to you?"

"Yeah, I guess you are sort of right, Raido. And hey...she didn't have a Genin team..." They didn't come chasing after me or anything, they let me go.

Konohagakure was HUGE. It's size was unbelievable. Even I, an Akatsuki member, was in awe of its people, and-_Oh! What's that?_ I marveled as I looked at a large mountain with four faces carved into it. People swarmed around me, going in different directions. I was probably the only person standing completely still.

"Can I help you? You look kind of lost." I spun around to see a man standing there. His complexion was a deep tan color and he had brown hair tied up in a ponytail. A scar made a frown over his nose. He laughed. "I'm sorry. Did I scare you? My name's Iruka Umino. I can tell you're new to the Leaf Village."

"Um...yes, my name is Senari, or Sen, and I'm from the Village Hidden in the Grass."

"Are you here for the Chunin Exams?"

I hesitated, forgetting I was still counted as Genin. "Yes, sir."

"Where's your team?"

I stopped, my eyes wide, trying to form an answer. Zetsu hadn't talked about this! "Um...They couldn't make it, so they sent me to represent them."

"Oh, OK. Would you like me to introduce you to the Leaf Genin teams? I'm a Chunin already, but I'm a sensei in the Academy."

I nodded. "Yes, please. That would be nice." Iruka smiled and led me around the village. The first team we visited was strange, but was one person was apparently missing from that team.

There were four people there: A tall man with grey hair and a mask, a girl with pink hair wearing a red dress, a boy with a blue outfit and dark blue hair, and another boy with bright yellow hair and blue eyes. My eyes grew wide.

_Could it be...?_

_No child, he's at his home, remember?_

_But...I miss him...and he looks _so _much like him..._

_I know, dear, I know._

I hid behind Iruka as he spoke. "Kakashi, where's Kaarayomiihi?"

The man with grey hair replied, "He had to go somewhere today. He'll be back any minute."

"Oh, well in that case, I-"

"Iruka sensei, Iruka sensei! I made a new installment into my special Jutsu!" The boy that almost made me cry exclaimed. With my curiousity and thirst for jutsu, I had to ask, although I was breaking a rule.

"Special...Jutsu?" I peeked around Iruka and the boy's eyes grew wide before he started laughing his head off. The other three seemed curious.

Iruka sighed. "Kakashi, Sasuke, Sakura, _Naruto," _he looked down at the boy with scorn, "I'd like you all to meet Sen. She's going to be competing in the Chunin Exams. Sen, I need to talk to Kakashi. You stay here and talk with Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke." Iruka left me there, to talk with Kakashi.

I slid down to my knees, looking at the dirt. The boy like _him _shouted, "Hiya! I'm Naruto Uzumaki! One day, I'm gonna be Hokage! And these are my teammates, Sakura and Sasuke!"

"Sasuke...?" I whispered. I remembered the name from somewhere...I couldn't remember where...Aha! Itachi had said that Sasuke was his younger brother, and they had a relationship somewhat like the one Zetsu and I seemed to perfectly maintain. He looked the part, too. His eyes were black and hateful, the Uchiha clan symbol on the back of his shirt. He glowered down at me, and seemed as though we were having a staring contest. Suddenly, his eyes turned red, without him blinking.

"Sasuke!" Naruto moaned. "Don't do that to her. You're gonna scare her. She probably doesn't even know what an Uchiha is, let alone the Sharingan." Oh, I _knew _what an Uchiha was; I knew. I'd known two more Uchiha's than he had!

"She'd better know what an Uchiha is." Sasuke said, irritated.

Sakura cooed, "Oh, Sasuke! You're so cool when you talk about the Uchiha clan like that!"

"Shut up and get away from me." Sakura stopped her cooing and trying to impress him when he rejected her.

"Hey! You guys didn't start training without me, did you?" I looked up and saw something that looked relatively funny. I couldn't help but finger the crescent moon around my neck. I'd never taken it off. There was another boy. He had black hair and two different colored eyes. One was red and the other was orange. He wore no headband, but there was a gourd tied to his back. Spots of it were a pinkish-red color, like there was incredible heat inside it. A black cat with green eyes curled itself around his feet, batting at the ends of his long, blue pants. He wore a simple orange shirt that said "fire" in Japanese lettering. He saw me and made a funny face. "Who're you?"

I looked down into the dirt. Sasuke and Naruto began arguing and Sakura was caught up in the middle. The other boy was the only one who was paying attention to me. "My name is Sen."

He stood in front of me. "Well, pleasant to meet you, Sen. I'm Kaarayomiihi Netzu! Or, Kaara, if you like." He had his arms folded but unfolded them. Before he did so, I noticed something glinting on one finger of his hand. When he put his arms down by his side, I grabbed his wrist and pulled him down so I could see his hand clearly. I had been right.

I looked up at him without letting go of his arm, my sharp nails digging into the flesh. "Ah! Needles!" He screeched quietly. He was on one knee, looking at me like I was insane.

"_You're _in the Akatsuki."

His eyes grew wide. "Please, don't tell any of these ninja!" He begged me in a whisper.

I smiled plesantly. "Don't worry. I'm in the Akatsuki, too. And so is my brother."

He scoffed. "So, who's your brother? Kakuzu? Hidan? _Tobi?"_

"Zetsu."

_**"WHAT?!"**_ Kaarayomiihi stood up, seemingly apalled. A wide grin spread across his face. "Zetsu's awesome! You're lucky!"

"You say that now..." I looked away shamefully.

"What?"

"Nothing. A piece of advice: I'd hide that ring." Kaara nodded and stuffed the ring into his ninja pouch.

"Sen? Are you ready to go meet the other teams?" Iruka called me. Satisified I had found a friend, I stood up and smiled. That was four. "You're in a good mood." Iruka laughed and I simply smiled.

When we reached the other group, there were two girls and two boys, plus a male sensei. One of the girls had blonde hair and a purple outfit. The other had black hair with red streaks, a black spaghetti-strap shirt, and black pants. Her eyes were bright red. One of the boys was...pudgy and he had funny-looking brown hair. The other had his hair done up somewhat like Iruka's and he looked relatively lazy. Once more, Iruka had to go and speak with their sensei, who's name, I learned, was Asuma.

The boys immeditaly walked up to me. The pudgy one introduced himself first. "Hi, Sen! I'm Choji Akimichi."

"And I'm Shikamaru Nara," said the other.

I smiled, knowing I could easily become friends with these boys. "And it's a pleasure to meet the both of you, gentlemen."

Choji laughed. "Did'ya get that, Shikamaru? She called us gentlemen! That's a first!" We all found this amusing. Then the girls approached me. The blonde one came first.

"You look pretty strong for a Kunoichi. Where're you from, again?"

"The Grass Village."

"Wow. I've heard that's a really unpleasant place. Well, anyway, I'm Ino Yamanaka. My dad and I own a flower shop. If you ever need flowers, you know where to shop!" She smiled and laughed. I smiled.

Then the other girl came. She shoved Ino out of the way and said to Shikamaru and Choji, "Move over, lazy bum and fatso."

I frowned. "That was very rude. You should be nicer. They are your teammates."

"I don't take advice from strangers." She commented, looking me up and down, as if trying to see how strong of an opponent I might be. "I'm Amaya Yuhi," she offered, still in a rude tone.

"Senari. It's very..._nice _to meet you." I already did _not _like this girl. Discretely, I balled my fist up.

_Not now, my dear. You will have your time..._

_Yes, Tsume. I shall refrain._

_Good girl. _Just then, it dawned on my that I had not seen Tsume's true form. _You will see when the time comes, child. _

"Sen? Time to meet the next group. After that, there's only one left." I nodded when Iruka told me it was time to go. I needed to go right then, or else violence between Amaya and I would've broken out. The next team consisted of the same amount of people, only they had a female sensei, and her name was Kurenai. Of course, Iruka had to speak with her. Only three of the four people approached me out of the group. One of the boys was wearing a very high collar and black glasses that glinted in the light. I knew what I was looking at, and I'm sure my eyes glinted, too. This was the child prodigy of the fabled clan I had loved to learn so much of. The Aburame clan. There was no mistaking it, by the insects that crawled in and out of his skin.

The other boy that approached me was wearing a jacket and had two red marks on the side of his face. The last, a girl, had long purple hair with red bangs; a dress similar to Sakura's, except it was sea green with red trimming and the ends were frayed; a bow and arrow attatched to her back; one green and one yellow eye; and a small freckle on the outside of her right eye, the yellow one. She looked _very _hyper. The boy with the red marks on his face spoke up first.

"Hi, I'm Kiba Inuzuka. That's Unmei," he pointed to the girl that had come over, "Over there's Hinata Hyuga. Don't be offended: she never talks to anyone new. This is Shino Aburame." He whispered in my ear, "He's one creepy guy, with all those bugs and stuff..." Kiba shivered. I heard a dog bark. There was a small white dog at Kiba's feet. He laughed. "Oh, yeah! And this little guy's Akamaru." Akamaru barked again. I smiled and bent down to pet him on the head. I cooed to the dog as I scratched him. Kiba started laughing. "I've never seen Akamaru in this much ecstasy! I think he likes you."

Then a chilling sensation came over all of us. Unmei asked, "Shino, did you just say something?"

"No. The wind shifted." His voice was, indeed, creepy, even to me. I got a cold chill and Akamaru whimpered. I 'shh'd him and began to pet him again. I talked with them until Iruka told me it was time to go meet the last team. Shino never said anything other than the four words he had already said.

I had to say, the last team was one of the weirdest I'd ever seen. They were the normal size for a team to be. There was a girl with brown hair and a pink outfit, a boy with pale purple eyes and long brown hair, and one of the other students and the sensei were _very _strange. They were both wearing green suits with their headbands tied around their waists. Both of them had strange, bowlcut hairstyles and _unusually_ large eyebrows. The student had bandages wrapped around his arms and hands, just like I did. I had adopted the style to conceal the grey scars that Zetsu left on my arms and hands after Kisame had wrapped them for me. I wondered why he wore them.

Iruka went to talk with the sensei, Might Guy, and once again left me with the team. I sat on a log, since we were in a forest, and waited for someone to say something. The girl walked over and sat beside me. She sighed and watched the boy in the green outfit practicing with a target-dummy.

She turned to me, smiling. "My name's Ten Ten. Over there training is Rock Lee, and that solemn guy over there is Neji Hyuga...I'll bet you're going to end up training with us."

"Do you think so? It is possible I might be in another team." _Or they could really irritate me and put me back with Tsuba and Midori. _

Suddenly, Rock Lee walked over to me. With one hand behind his back and another in front of him, he said, "Sen, I challenge you to a duel, so I may see how well you fight."

I couldn't help but smirk and accept. Who was I turn down a fight? I stood up and didn't draw my kunai. From watching him, I realized he used mainly taijutsu, so I would fight they way he did. When our battle began, the two teachers turned around to watch. Rock Lee was actually a better fighter than I expected. He was also very fast, but so was I. I was one of the fastest people in my entire village. The only person who had been faster was a dead daimyo. Our battle went on for a long time. When Iruka said we should stop, neither of us had broken a sweat. In fact, we both started laughing.

"You are a very formidable opponent, Sen. If you do not mind, I would like to spar with you again sometime."

"I would enjoy that. I will look forward to it." I smiled and giggled.


	12. Instigation of Hate 12

The rest of the day, I explored the Village Hidden in the Leaves by myself. Iruka told me that if I went to the Ninja Academy of Konohagakure the next day, he would tell me which team the Third Hokage, Sarutobi, said I could train with, if I wanted. I didn't go back to talk to any of my new friends: I only thought I would actually _be _friends with Kaara, because he was in the Akatsuki. Plus, I didn't want Zetsu to find out I had friends outside of the Akatsuki. All together, I was trying to save myself from another heartache.

Iruka had also told me that I could stay in a little house-like apartment thing by myself, with no charge for money. I accepted and he told me where to go to get the address and the key. I stayed there that night.

The next day, because I could think of nothing else to do, I went to the Ninja Academy to see what team I could train with. Iruka seemed pleased to see me.

"Oh, Sen! I didn't think you would come today." He smiled. "Well, in that case, your new sparring partner will be pleased to hear that you're going to be training in Team Guy, out of what once was the Rookie Nine. I know where Guy said they would be training today, so would you like me to take you?"

"Yes, please, sensei." I began to follow Iruka once more to where my new team was training.

_Calling him your teacher already? Tsk, tsk. Deidara might become upset..._Tsume crooned.

_Sensei will understand. He knows how I am. _

_He does not know how you used to be! That is very different from how you are now._

_I realize that, Tsume. Thank you. _I only was kind to shut her up. When Tsume threw a tantrum, it gave me a headache. Sometimes, I even got sick when she was angry.

"Sensei?" I said, cringing when I realized I had broken a rule. Iruka only smiled at me. "Um...What's the...Rookie Nine?"

"The Rookie Nine was just that: nine rookies. But, since Amaya, Unmei, and Kaara have joined us, we've become the Rookie Twelve, and now with you, the Rookie Thirteen."

_That makes sense...somehow. _I could hear Tsume's kind yet malicious laughter.

A few minutes later, we could see my new team. I smiled, knowing I was about to make some new friends. Iruka called out to them and they all turned around. Iruka then explained my being there and left me. Might Guy and Rock Lee both grinned, gave a thumbs-up, and winked. Neji sighed and shook his head and Ten Ten did the same.

Guy said, "It's good see a new flame of youth in this team. Neji and Ten Ten's seem to be dying down..."

Lee commented, "I am very happy you will be on this team! I cannot wait until we can spar again!"

Ten Ten shook her head. "Oh, boy. Here we go again..."

Neji said to her, "It was inevitable. They're always going to do that."

As the day progressed, I learned many other things. I learned that Lee and Guy were actually _not _related, even though they looked so much alike. Lee was unable to use ninjutsu or genjutsu. Ten Ten fought mainly with ninja tools and weapons. Neji used his Kekkei Genkai, the Byakugan, quite a bit. Guy spoke about youth more than I would have liked. It became a routine every morning for me to go and train with Team Guy.

I also spent a lot of time with other people. I mostly hung out with Shikamaru, Choji, Unmei, Kaara, Lee (whom, out of respect, I began to call Lee kun), Naruto, and, as much as I knew I wasn't supposed to, Sasuke. Amaya, Ino, Sakura and Hinata decided to keep a fair distance away from me. I guessed they didn't like me. I got over my brother's rules and only followed them when I was around him or other members, beside Kaara. One day, I was exploring the Leaf Village as I often did by myself. I was humming a tune from some song I didn't remember.

"Hey, Sen, why're you all alone?" I turned around, startled, and saw Sasuke, smiling kindly.

"Oh, hello, Sasuke. I was just walking, that's all."

"Oh. Well, would you like to go get lunch with me?" I smiled and accepted. I was getting kind of hungry, anyway. Sasuke and I went to a local ramen station. Neither of us had much money, due to the fact no one was getting too many missions. We each got a small bowl of ramen and talked while we ate our lunch. He sighed. "We should do this more often. This is nice."

I laughed. "Yes, it is quite nice. I would like to do this again sometime, too." Sasuke and I walked for a while before it got dark and we both had to go home.

It wasn't long before Sasuke and I actually started _dating. _It was the first time I'd ever had a boyfriend, but it didn't feel much different than just being friends. Soon, I had to move my small bag of belongings out of the small apartment-house because more ninja were coming and they needed that house until after the Chunin Exams. Sasuke allowed me to stay at his house. My bed was closest to the window, while his bed was closest to the door.

Time seemed to slow down the closer the Chunin Exams came. My heart felt like it would stop at any minute. I had been past Chunin level, but I had never actually participated in the Chunin Exams. It was exhilarating, to say the least. One day, all the teams were together for a neat little picnic in Konoha. I had my lunch wrapped up in an ordinary paper bag. Everyone was sitting in different areas. Some people were sitting near a group but not particularly in it, some people were sitting in a group. No one was sitting alone. I walked past the Leaf Genin and didn't see Sasuke at all.

I saw Amaya, Ino, and Sakura all sitting together. They glared at me as I walked past, reminding me of daycare in Kusagakure. I didn't sit with them. I contemplated sitting on my own until I heard three voices calling my name. I turned around. Choji, Shikamaru and Kaara were waving and yelling at me. I smiled and waved back before I ran to sit with them.

"What's with them? Do they not like me or something?" I asked as I sat down and opened my bag. The boys shrugged.

Shikamaru commented, "Don't mind them, anyway. I bet they're just jealous because you're going out with Sasuke. Amaya used to, but I don't know why they broke up. Ino and Sakura are just another bunch of his fans."

Choji grinned. "Yeah! You've got nothing to worry about!" We all laughed. We talked and ate our lunch.

"Um...hey, do you guys...mind if I sit here?" We all stopped, right in the middle of laughing while Shikamaru was explaining something funny. I turned around to see something I never expected to see. Amaya stood there, holding her wooden lunch box. Her face was uncertain and distorted with fear, but she somehow managed to smile. The boys all turned to me, since I was the one who had been rejected.

I looked back down and moved over a bit, making room for her. I looked up and smiled. "Who am I to deny someone something they desire?"

She smiled, still uncertain, and sat down. "Um...Thanks. You're...Sen, right?" I smiled and nodded. Amaya soon joined in our conversations, belting out funny stories of her own like she had been here all along. Then, we all started to compare things, like our ages, our last names, and things we liked. I learned I was a year younger than the boys and two years younger than Amaya. I had made a new friend, once again. As the others continued talking, I began to wonder how Leri was doing.

_You're leaving him behind, dear. Leri is the farthest thing from your mind. You don't care about him anymore, do you? You're making all these new friends, meeting all these new people, and forgetting completely about little Leri Seijitsu. By time this mission is over and you actually have chance to return to him, you won't even remember who he is. You'll think one of your new friends got you that necklace. Don't you miss him at all?_

_Tsume, how could you say that!? You know I miss him! He's..._I sniffed and a warm tear ran down my face.

Choji noticed this and asked quietly, "Is everything alright? You look kind of sad." I smiled and looked up.

"I'm fine. I'm not sad."

He frowned. "Well...OK...If you say so..." We all continued our conversations, and I joined in, so no one thought anything was wrong.

Amaya and I soon became close friends, almost like sisters. I learned her blood-related older sister was actually a sensei, Kurenai. Amaya had a pet wolf she had named Suki. I then introduced her to my summoning animal, Torayuki. Torayuki simply mumbled when the playful wolf jumped about her, growling and barking for attention. Suki was unlike Ferret's pack, much too playful to survive without Amaya. That kind of behavior would have gotten her killed, even in Ferret's peaceful pack.

Unfortunately, the relationship between Sasuke and I took a turn for the worst. Half the time I wanted to talk to him, he wasn't where he said he would be. He got easily irritated when I would talk with my friends, other than Amaya, Unmei, and Ten Ten. He seemed to be caring, in the event he told me I should stay away from Shino Aburame (though I didn't remember who that was) because he was "creepy" and Sasuke didn't trust him. I didn't see why, but none of my friends at that point had the name of Shino. Sometimes, I would go and hangout with Amaya or Unmei until about nine o'clock pm, and he would be angry when I returned. He had given me a key, so I don't know why he was upset when I was late. I understood that Sasuke had many fans, because he was well-liked, but I didn't understand when I saw him with other girls. He held their hands, like he would mine. I shook it off, though, and continued on with my life. One of the times I had gone to eat dinner with Amaya and her sister at a fancy restaurant, it was a very cold night. It was fun. I dressed up with bows in my hair, although I didn't wear a dress, like Amaya and Kurenai. On our way back, Amaya told her sister that we were going to walk for a while.

"Are you sure?" Kurenai seemed surprised.

"Yeah, we'll be fine! We just wanna talk. We don't get a whole lot of time during the day to talk." Amaya grinned, the way I had seen many people grin: Naruto, Lee kun...Leri.

"Well...OK. But the two of you should head home if it starts to rain. I don't want either of you getting pneumonia." With that, Kurenai left Amaya and I to talk and walk. We walked through a large park, like the ones they had in Kusagakure, like the ones Leri and I would walk through.

After a few moments of nothing but crickets chirping in the darkness, Amaya spoke up. "I've noticed you've been really upset about something lately. Can you tell me what's up?"

I sighed and looked down at my bare feet as we walked. I had taken my shoes off after we left. I hate shoes. "Well...I suppose I could...but...it's a sensitive topic, and I would need to trust you that you won't bring it up."

"Of course! I won't talk about it if you tell what's going on."

"Well...When I left Kusagakure, I had only one friend. His name was Leri Seijitsu. He looks almost exactly like...He was really upset when I decided to go, and he gave me this necklace. We were only six years old and didn't understand much, the dangers of this world. I don't what's happened to him but...I miss him, and I can't return until after the Chunin Exams." I never looked up. I restrained a tear, listening to Tsume's methodical and rhythmic purring.

_You're becoming more heartless, my dear...That's not what you want, now is it? _I ignored her, denying her the pleasure of torturing me.

"I see...You know, I wish I could help, but..."

I smiled crookedly and chuckled slightly. "That's OK. I didn't expect you to help. It's not necessary." Amaya seemed confused by this, as she tried to smile but somehow failed. She looked away and was silent once more.

Crickets chirped and dogs barked in the background. I could smell rain coming. The night was cold, and I think we both were then. A few minutes passed before I could no longer battle with myself.

"Amaya...does your heart hurt?"

She gave me a strange look. "Well...um...no...Why?"

"Did your heart hurt when you broke up with Sasuke?"

"No..."

"Why does mine hurt, then?"

"What do you mean?" We both stopped, staring at one another.

"Did it?"

"Quit it, Sen!"

"Does it feel colder than normal to you?"

Her eyes quivered with some kind of cross between fear and disgust. She took a step back, away from me.

"Well...does it?" I gave her an inquiring look. She slowly shook her head as she stepped backwards, walking faster.

"Please...stop it...You're scaring me!" She turned tail and ran from me.

A few minutes passed, as I stood staring into the darkness where she had been.

_There she goes...leaving me all alone...just like everyone else. _As I felt something warm run down the side of my face, it was quickly erased by many cold somethings. Those cold somethings, I realized, were rain, coming down harder and harder with each passing second.

_I'm still here, child._

_Yes, Tsume, I know...thank you...I had so many questions...and she didn't answer them. Why didn't she answer them?_

_I do not know. I wish I knew the secrets to the world._

_Are they bad questions, Tsume?_

_No, my dear, they're very good questions. _My tears began to come and go faster, being washed away by the rain. _Look, the sky is crying for you, _with _you._

_Yes...It's very thoughtful, isn't it? Maybe it likes me._

_You have much in common. But, please...don't cry, little one. Everything will be better in time, I promise._

_Thank you..._I sat down beneath a tree, watching the sky light up with beautiful flashes of blue and white electricity. _Tsume...I still have not yet seen your true form. May I see it, please?_

_If it will make you feel better, dear, of course you can. But...just close your eyes and focus hard on my voice. Let all other things leave you. _I began to concentrate on the menacing female voice in my head, listening as it grew louder then softer.

I opened my eyes and was no longer where I had been. There was no constant beating noise of the rain, no chirp of the crickets. I was still sitting beneath a tree, but this tree was much greater, much taller, much older. Its great branches reached out until I don't think I could look any higher. In fact, all the tree around me were that tall. They were tall, thick and more beautiful than anything I had ever seen. The area around me was dark, very dark. The only lights came from small fireflies, emanating rainbow lights in all directions, floating and flitting all around me. I stood up, dumbfounded from the beauty of this enchanted forest. As I looked more about me, I could see a tall, iron cage wrought in the very center of where I was. It stretched for a great distance, both up and to the sides. It was taller that the trees, wider than anything I had seen. The area inside the cage was so dark that I could not see the other side of it. A great purring noise filled my ear drums. _Yes, you found me, child, I am glad. _Two very, very large, bright chartreuse eyes looked at me from the darkness of the cage. They blinked and looked menacing, yet so kind.

The shroud of darkness dissipated.

A great tiger lay inside the cage, the front paws folded over one another. The fur was an almost golden orange color and was covered with dark, rich black stripes. This tiger was almost as large as the cage itself, and something other than the size left me awestruck. Around the tiger lay its nine tails, each as golden and pretty as the last. They were arranged neatly, like a blanket, almost. I almost came to tears as I realized what I was looking at.

So this was Tsume.

"Oh, dear child, I'm so happy. You have finally been able to see me." Her voice was the same, but no longer the echoing audible chasm it had once been.

"With all due respect, ma'am," with Tsume's violent true form revealed, I wanted to be as respectful as possible, "I must ask without offending you...What...what are you?"

Her green eyes relaxed and became glossy, as if she were reminiscing on days long passed. She lay her large head on her front paws, coming closer to me. Beneath her fur, I could see her sharp claws and long fangs glinting in the faint light.

"I, my dear child, am what many wish to destroy. I am a demon, a tailed beast of lore. But now I am _your _demon. And together, we are a _Jinchuuriki. _So many people fear us, and there are few like us."

"Do I...Do I know anyone who is a...a _Jinchuuriki_? Do you know their demons?"

"Kaarayomiihi Netzu, Karau Yurei, Naruto Uzumaki, Gaara Sabaku. Yes...I know them well. Kaarayomiihi's demon, Tanuki Nekkyo, a one tail, is the younger brother of Gaara's demon, Tanuki Shukaku, another one tail. Nekkyo is not on my best side, although Shukaku is quite funny. Yurei's demon, Kitsune Chiyo, a rare growing-tails, is the sister of Naruto's demon, and oh, how strong he is!, Kitsune Kyuubi, a nine-tails, like me. Chiyo has taught me most of what I know, and to me, is Chiyo sensei."

I looked down, realizing I was in the brown dress I had worn when I was younger and my feet were bare. "I believe I remember...yes...Naruto san had told me that he was a 'host,' and did not like the term _Jinchuuriki _because it was dehumanizing."

"You must do me a great favor, child. You cannot tell these people with whom you live, The Akatsuki, that you are a Jinchuuriki. If they are to know this...bad things will happen." The great mass seemed to shiver and she curled up like cats often do.

"What kind of bad things, Tsume?"

"Things that you must not know now. But...you should most likely be getting home, shouldn't you?"

I instantly released my focus (which I had forgot I was even focusing) on Tsume, and was right back beneath the tree, in the rain. The rain had eased up a little bit. I stood up, and noticed my body was surprisingly sore. How long had I really been sitting underneath that tree...? It didn't matter, because I got home quickly. For once, Sasuke had left the door unlocked and he had already fallen asleep by time I got home.


	13. Instigation of Hate 13 Chunin Exams

**The Problem With Sasuke**

"How about nine o'clock tonight, by the covered bridge?" Sasuke asked me.

"Hn...Sure, I guess so. I don't think I'll be doing anything else." I smiled and he laughed.

"Alright, I'll see you later, then." We parted ways and went to our teams. He had asked me on date, which he hardly ever did. Every time he actually _did _ask me on a date, he didn't show up. But this time, I felt like I would actually be going with someone, instead of all by myself. I continued the day, very happy. Lee kun and I sparred, while TenTen and Neji kept track. Guy sensei wasn't there today: he had been sent on a mission that we weren't allowed to go on. Eventually, training was over and everyone had fought the others on the team.

I went home, not to Sasuke's house or the small apartment that they had given me, but to to the former Akatsuki lair. I had to go there every other night, to tell my brother how things were going. I didn't always tell him everything. Tonight, I didn't plan on telling him I had a date, let alone a date with _Sasuke. _Among many other ninja whom I was sure I'd never meet, Zetsu had warned me to stay away from Sasuke, because of his relation to Itachi.

While I was there, I got an outfit ready. I chose a simple, long sleeved blue dress with a high-collared black jacket. I didn't put it on yet: no, I had to wait two hours. As the minutes passed, my heart beat faster. I couldn't help but smile sometimes.

"What the hell's wrong with you? You look like some kind of damn clown, smiling all the time. Like Tobi." Zetsu persisted negatively.

"Oh, nothing in particular, Brother. I just...I hurt one of the Leaf Kunoichi that I don't like today. I told you of them, correct?" I lied. He wouldn't ever know.

"Yeah, and you know I don't give a damn! Quit smiling, though. It's creeping me out." I nodded and stopped smiling, until I was alone in the old library.

I sat down at the old tables, looking at the scrolls, covered in dust. I spied one I had not yet read. On the outside, it read "Zetsu" and I couldn't help but grab it. Grasping the delicate rice paper gently, I pulled it open. It was short, but I read it anyway.

_Not much is known of Zetsu. He is from Kusagakure no Sato. He specializes in Earth Style jutsu. _

_Age: unknown_

_Gender: male_

_Ring information: right small finger, "Black"_

_Membership status: alive_

I sighed, not finding any useful information from the small scroll. I opened it up a little more and was delighted to see a small, last bit of writing on the very end of the scroll.

_According to rumor, Zetsu has a younger sister, still residing in Kusagakure no Sato. He wishes to bring her into the Akatsuki, to further aid Pein's ideas. This rumor has not yet been verified._

I smiled. _It has now. _I could hear Tsume laughing. I read through old scrolls, taking a long to read the scroll of a ninja all the Akatsuki members had told me to stay away from: Orochimaru. I didn't think that I would _**ever **_meet Orochimaru. Moreover, I didn't want to. Even Pein and Konan had told me to avoid him at all costs.

Finally, the time came that I went to change my outfit. The biggest problem was getting out without Zetsu noticing my fancy dress. I moved around in the shadows of the former lair, doing my best to go around where he was without being noticed. I had almost made it.

"Where in the hell do you think you're going, dressed like that?"

My heart stopped as I searched for an answer. "Um...well...I heard two genin, the Uzumaki boy being one of them, talking. They said there was going to be a big party for all the genin, and I'm going so I can scope things out, trying to find their weaknesses, perhaps." I had lied once more. If Zetsu ever found out, I would be dead. Literally.

He smiled, for once. "So, I see you're not _completely _useless after all. Good girl." I nodded and ran out the door, my heart pounding ferociously. I sighed after I got a while away, and tried to calm my heart down. That was so exhilarating! It had scared me, because I didn't think I would have been able to go, but I had done it! He believed me! Of course, he was probably going to expect a list of what happened, but I don't want to think about that now.

I made my way to the covered bridge in Konohagakure. It was strange that they had such an unrecognizable and small covered bridge, but they had one. There were benches outside of the bridge. I looked all around the bridge to find I was alone and that Sasuke was not here yet. I sat outside of the bridge for about fifteen minutes before it began to rain. The rain and the wind made it incredibly cold.

I moved to stand inside the bridge, hoping to get warm. The dirt paths on each side of the bridge were now huge puddles of mud. Once, a man riding a horse passed. There was a basket of goods that the horse was lugging behind it, ever-so slowly. The old man, literally old enough to be a grandfather, threw me a flower and smiled.

"It's an awfully cold night to be out alone. Why are you here?"

"I'm waiting for my boyfriend. He'll be here soon, I'm sure." The old man smiled once more, but gave me a strange look as though I were a ghost. I didn't blame him: I had heard many stories of the spirits of young women waiting for their deceased boyfriends or husbands. He and the horse, seemingly as old and slow as he was, continued down the road before they shimmered and disappeared before my eyes. I looked at the flower he had given me, and its sunlight-yellow quickly withered and it turned to ashes in my hands. _I hope he's at peace, _I thought, realizing the old man was exactly what he had thought _I _was.

My feet got too tired to stand for much longer and I was forced to sit outside in the rain. The rain seeped through my clothes and pierced my skin, seeming to be searching for my soul. An hour passed, and before I knew it, it was ten thirty at night. I began to contemplate over whether or not I should go home. The rain seemed to be laughing at me, its quick pitter-patter chuckling with non-stop hilarity at my increasing sorrow. I actually started to cry when I realized Sasuke wasn't coming. Some part of me, however, persisted me to stay and, for what reason I don't know why, I did.

I removed the necklace Leri had given me and held it up to the cresent moon. It fit perfectly. I watched the shadows it cast dance across the ground, tangoing with the rain. I smiled and the tears began to cease.

"You know...Sasuke doesn't love you." The sudden voice scared me so bad that I lost my grip on the necklace and dropped it into the mud. I frowned, upset. "Oh, my apologies. I didn't want to scare you. You just looked so lonely...Let me fix that for you." The shadow that had been standing beside me leaned into the moonlight to pick up my necklace. He looked familiar, although I don't remember who he was. He was wearing a high collared jacket, so far it covered his mouth, and completely black glasses. His voice creeped me out.

"Oh...um...thank you...but...What was it you said about Sasuke?" I didn't really want to talk to him, but what he had said intrigued me.

He started to wipe the mud off the necklace with the bottom of his shirt. "Hmn? Oh, yes...I said Sasuke doesn't love you."

"What...what do you mean?"

"I mean, I've been noticing that Sasuke's been with other girls lately...I don't know if you knew that but, I don't think it's right." He paused to give me back my necklace, which I slipped around my neck. "Why don't you come with me...? There's a warm little restaurant we can go to and I can explain everything there." He seemed to be smiling as he stepped in front of me. He reached out one hand, offering it to me. I looked at his hand, then back to his face. He didn't flinch. I put my hand in his, strange as it looked, and stood up. We walked together, over the bridge and to the small restaurant he had spoke of. He never did tell me his name. My hand looked so strange compared to his. His skin had color to it, while I was, and always would be, snow-white. His skin was warmer than mine, and I couldn't help but go a little closer to him. I was so cold. He didn't seem to mind. If he did, he didn't show it.

When we got to the little restaurant, it was _so _warm. He ordered us both a cup of hot tea and got us a small table by the window.

"Now...I suppose I should explain myself?" He inquired, while we waited for our tea. I smiled pitifully and nodded. "My name is Shino Aburame, we've met before. I'm quite observant at times, and I noticed you acted upset a great majority of the time. Then, I realized that Sasuke was with other girls besides you. Naturally, I believe that that is what's been upsetting you. Am I right?"

I looked down, drawing on the black and white speckled table with my finger. "I thought that was normal..." I suddenly felt very shameful.

"No, it's actually a very bad thing." Shino wasn't mad at all. "I hate to impose something that might hurt you but...it might be best for you if you broke up with him. If I were in your position, I would be fed up with him by now."

"Yes...I suppose you're right..." A woman came with two cups of tea. Shino thanked her and paid her. She left us in an instant, scared by his Kikaichu. I couldn't help but giggle. I liked the bugs, and when one crawled across the table, I let it crawl around on my hand. Shino had apologized, but I just laughed and watched it crawl. He had unzipped the top part of his jacket, so I could see his mouth and the fact that he was smiling and blushing at the same time.

I tried to take a drink of my tea and burned my tongue. I put a piece of ice in my mouth. He smiled at me, and chuckled slightly. My eyes grew wide. I didn't think he was able to laugh. It was scary, to be honest.

"Is it a little too hot for you?" I nodded. He just smiled. I felt bad. I had forgotten his name already, and it would be rude to ask it again. By the time we both finished our tea and the rain had stopped, we both understood one another's reasonings very clearly. He offered to walk me back to Sasuke's house. I agreed, but told him not that far.

We walked for a while in silence, before it began to occur to me what I had to do. I couldn't help but cry a little bit. I heard him sigh and he stopped. Turning to me, he put his hands on my shoulders. Before I realized what he was doing, he kissed me on the side of the face.

"Please, don't cry, Sen. It makes me want to cry. I don't like it." He wiped a tear from my eye and smiled sympathetically. My eyes were still wide with shock. We walked the rest of the way in silence once more. A few minutes away from Sasuke's house, I said goodbye to him. Sasuke was already in bed, the door unlocked once more. I was glad. I didn't want to hear twenty questions from him over why I was late.

A few days later, Sasuke and I got into an arguement. I sat on my bed, looking out the window as he spoke.

"Why do you always do this? I've told you time after time, I don't want you near all those others. They're going to hurt you, I just know it!"

"Sasuke, I-"

"No! I don't want to hear it! It's probably just another of your excuses. I don't know how long I'm going to be able to trust you, with you hanging out with all these other boys."

"I saw you with other girls. You're...you're cheating on me...aren't you?"

"Who the heck told you this?" He looked irritated.

"I don't remember his name."

"_His?! _What did _he _look like?"

"Well...he had black glasses..."

"You fool! That's the same person I told you to stay away from!"

"I'm sorry. I didn't know he-"

"Enough." He sighed. "I need to think by myself for a while." He went out onto the small balcony that served as a front porch. I sat alone, in the silence of the dark. I thought could hear Tsume purring. A few minutes passed before I got up and took action. I took a small cardboard box and put my things in it: a book, Pukai, and my clothes. Sasuke had given me two shirts that I typically slept in. He had given me a blue one and a black one, each with the Uchiha clan symbol on the back. I wadded the black one up and tossed it into the trash can. Making sure I had all of my things, I grabbed the box and walked out onto the balcony. In one hand, I carried the blue shirt Sasuke had given me.

I didn't look at him. "I really expected more from you, Sasuke. But...I guess we're done now, aren't we?" I dropped the shirt in his lap and walked down the stairs. It started to rain again. By the time I got to Amaya and Kurenai's house, I was soaking wet.

When I knocked on the door, I heard Kurenai grumbling something about company this late at night, but Amaya answered the door. Her eyes grew very large when she saw me holding the small box. I smiled at her pitifully.

"Um...Amaya? Could I...maybe stay here for a while? Until I'm allowed my own house back?"

She looked like she was about to laugh, but helped me in. "What happened? I thought you were staying with Sasuke."

"Well...we're kind of...not together any more." Amaya gasped and Kurenai looked at me. She smiled and waved, not realizing the situation.

Amaya herded me into her room. She sat on her bed, her legs crossed, and she told me to sit down. "I want to know _everything. _Start from the beginning." I sat beside her bed, near the window, and told her everything that happened. When I finished, her eyes were wide once more. "Wow. That's kind of complicated, don't you think?" I laughed. Amaya pulled out another blanket and pillow for me. "Sorry. This is all we've got right now. I hope it's all right."

"Yes, thank you. I'll be fine."

"You'll have to tell me anything else tomorrow. It's kind of late." I agreed with her and she turned the lights out. I stared out the window until I got tired and fell asleep.

The next evening, after training, I returned to Amaya's house. Kurenai let me in, and I saw she had Asuma over. They had all been sitting in the living room. I bowed in respect.

Asuma commented, "Oh, hey, Sen. Didn't think you'd be here. Oh, yeah, Shikamaru wants to know if you could play Shogi or Go with him sometime." I smiled and nodded.

Amaya and I went into her room to talk. I sat where my makeshift bed was, looking at the window once more.

"So, do you know who you'll go out with next?" She broke the silence.

"Hn...no...I don't really think that's the kind of thing for me."

"It's obvious Lee likes you."

"Lee kun? No. He's my sparring partner. That'd be kind of strange, beating up your boyfriend..." Unintentionally, my voice trailed off.

"Well...how about Shino? He seems to like you."

I made a face. "I don't who that is."

She sighed. "Well..how about that Leri kid you told me about?"

I glared at her. "Quit. Just stop, please...I don't...I don't know if he's still OK..."

"Well, what if he is?"

"Then may whatever god there is save his soul."

"From what?"

"Me."

That silenced us both. A few minutes later, however, a knock startled us.

"Sen? It's for you." Amaya opened the door and Kurenai came in, holding a small box wrapped in a blue bow. There was an envelope tied to the box. "Asuma opened the door to leave and there it was. It said it was for you, but we didn't open it. So...I don't know who it's from." She handed the box to me and left the room.

"What is it?" Amaya peered over the side of her bed. I shrugged and gently opened the small envelope. The only thing it said was "OPEN WITH CARE." I opened the box quietly and gasped when I saw its contents. A single red rose sat lonesomely inside, with a tiny card attached. I lovingly picked it up, heard Amaya gasp, and read the card. It said:

_Dear Sen,_

_I heard everything's all better now. Glad I could help._

I smiled. There was no signature, but I knew who it was from.

"Who's it from?"

I smiled. "I don't know." Honestly, I _didn't _know, yet I knew. I don't know his name...but I know who he is.

**My Debt to Kiba**

One day, before the Chunin Exams, there was a small gathering of Genin in a _very _tall building. Sarutobi spoke with us all, and afterwards, I sat on the balcony by myself. Kiba had to stay behind and clean up a mess that Akamaru had made. I spaced out and didn't follow everyone else when they left.

I had no idea what I'd done.

I was standing on the opposite side of the balcony, hanging on to the railing. The ground swam below me, panic rushing to my throat, with the bile that followed. I swallowed them both back, and it burned my mouth. Wind blew my hair around my face, making it difficult to see. I turned towards the side of the balcony I had been on. Right as I was about to climb to safety, I lost both my grip and my footing.

For a split second, I was caught in midair.

Instinctively, I had closed my eyes. But when no impact hit me, only the wind blowing calmly to one side, I opened one eye.

"I've got you." My savior. Kiba Inuzuka. I looked up at him pitifully. He kept a straight face. Over the whistle of the wind, I could hear Akamaru whining with fear. A heavy silence pierced my heart.

Kiba reached down his other hand, and I reached for his hand. Now that we had a good grip on one another's hands, we began to try to get me back up on the balcony. Kiba pulled me up, and I put my feet on the bottom of the balcony. Once I was up far enough, Kiba put his arms around my waist to hold me steady, and I climbed over the railings. The second it was over, I hugged him and, surprisingly even to me, I kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you so much, Kiba! You saved my life!"

He blushed. "Well...uh...you were just in trouble so...I thought I might help." I smiled and hugged him again.

"I owe you."

**The Chunin Exams, At Last! **

I was so excited! This was the one thing I didn't need to hide from my brother: the Chunin Exams! I would then be counted as not only a Chunin in Kusagakure no Sato and Konohagakure, but I would also be counted as a Chunin in the Akatsuki, and Pein would allow me my own cloak, hat, and ring! He had already had the ring made, and even showed me (it was purple and said "gekko"[meaning 'moonlight'] on it), but I wasn't allowed to have it until I was Chunin.

The Preliminaries, I figure, would be easy. I stood with my team, jumping up and down with excitement.

Neji gave me a funny look. "What's wrong with you? Are you a rabbit?"

"No, no! I'm excited!"

Guy sensei grinned and gave me a thumbs-up. "That's a good girl! Excitement and thrill is a great way to improve your youth. Just...be careful you don't overwork yourself, OK? You're...kind of scaring me."

I stopped. "My apologies, sensei." I bowed, like always.

Everyone was silenced and the proctor began to speak. "All right, Genin, this is how," he coughed, "things will work. The first round will be a practice round. You can deny this round if you like. If you lose your practice match," he coughed once more, "you will still be able to compete in the Chunin Exams Preliminaries. Now, for the first match..." The screen spun two random names. Neither of them were mine. Two matches later, the screen spun again. I watched intensely.

**Senari **

**VS.**

**Shino Aburame**

I jumped up, smiling. I don't know who Shino Aburame is, but they're in for a long match. I walked down to the match arena. I stood across from my opponent. He looked vaguely familiar, but I passed it off as a trick of the mind. Our proctor, whose name was Hayate Gekko, told us to begin.

It was pretty much a hand-to-hand battle, all taijutsu. Shikamaru, such a nice friend, instigated, "Come on, Sen! This won't take long!" I had smiled and waved back at him, but never expected anything much to happen. Five, ten, fifteen minutes passed. I had already been injured slightly. He had swung his kunai at me, and it had hit me in the back of the leg, making it hard for me to walk. I pulled out my kunai knife, the long one. Running at him (ever-so stumbly, I might add), I held the blade out, ready to strike. As I swiped the knife, he blocked it with his own kunai. We pushed against one another with kunai for about a minute before it got tiring. I quickly spun around to his back, catching him off guard, and tried to hit him with my kunai, but to no avail. He used the substitution jutsu and appeared some distance away.

"Hnn..." I moaned. "This is becoming an infantile reoccurrence...Frankly, I'm getting irritated!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Was I supposed to let you win?" I gritted my teeth and ran at him. He didn't move. Right when I was supposed to strike him (and it would have hit its mark, too), I came to a horrible realization that partially immobilized me.

This was the Shino who had saved me from heartache. I couldn't hurt him. Not in a thousand years.

He took advantage of my partial immobilization and disappeared into a cloud of insects. He reappeared directly behind me, one hand gripped around my throat. My eyes wide, I dropped my kunai. I could feel him behind me, and his grip became tighter on my throat. His other hand held my hands in front of me, making it so I couldn't struggle.

"Forfeit or I'll suffocate you, one way or the other." I could feel small insects crawling up from his hand to my face. I wasn't scared, but instead felt stupid. How could I have let down my guard like that? Would I be stupid enough to die during a _practice match_ in the _Chunin Exams? _No, I couldn't let that happen. But my small amount of pride found itself larger than it was.

"I forfeit." I whispered.

"Louder." He pressed.

"I forfeit."

"So Hayate can hear?"

"I forfeit!"

"Good girl."

"We have a forfeit! Victor, Shino Aburame!" Hayate coughed and everyone began to speak: it was time for a break between battles. Shino let go of my hands and throat and pushed me. Unstable, I fell. He looked down at me.

"Need help?" He offered his hand once more.

Angry, I looked from his hand to the ground. "I'm a big girl. I can get up on my own, thanks." I went to push myself up, but pain surged through my leg. It was impossible for me to get up without the pain coming back. I gritted my teeth and looked back up at him. He was still staring at me. "OK, you win. I need help." He seemed to smile before helping me up. I stood on my own, but he stayed there to make sure I didn't fall.

I used a simple, regenerating medical jutsu to repair the large gash. It came together, making a small, pink seam in my white flesh. I could've sworn I'd heard Shino say something just then.

We returned to our places and I watched the rest of the practice matches with Lee kun. He didn't do his practice match. There weren't many people who actually did their practice matches. A three-man group on one side didn't do it at all. I hadn't seen them before. There was one somewhat like Kaara, with a gourd tied to his back and bright red hair. There was also a girl, with blond hair up in a funny fashion and a boy with purple face paint and a completely black outfit. They all had something tied to their backs. One of them, as I said, had a gourd, the girl had a fan, and the final boy had something I had only seen Sasori(whom I despised, and vice versa) use: a puppet. It didn't seem like a puppet, more like a dead body, but it was a puppet. I shivered at the fact Sasori could, and wanted to, turn me into a puppet just like that one.

My actual preliminary battle was quite short, much shorter than my practice round. I fought a girl from the sound village, her name I didn't remember, and almost killed her. She was sent to the hospital. As I walked back to my place with Team Guy, I heard something familiar.

"Hey, Sen, nice battle! Your brother said you'd be here!" I turned around to see the poison specialist that I had become friends with.

"Nikki Kaede! I'm so glad to see you! Aren't you already Chunin?" I hugged her.

"Yeah, but I thought I'd come watch the kiddies play."

"Hey, be nice! Some of us here are your age, and some are older than you."

She laughed. "_You're_ a year_ younger_." I sighed and groaned. "Got any new friends I can meet?" I smiled.

"Yeah! Um...Amaya's kind of fighting right now, so we'll have to wait a minute." And at that, I introduced her to all my new friends. Her reaction to Kaara was funny. Before I had even said anything, she recognized him immediately.

"You! You're that new recruit Pein called in! You better be a good fighter."

Kaara cringed when she pointed her index finger at him. "Uh...yeah, I guess I am..." Styx, the black cat that always followed him, hissed at her. "Styx! Bad boy!" Kaede only hissed back.

I watched the rest of the matches in silence, Kaede lecturing Kaara about what and what not to do when you're an Akatsuki member, quietly of course, as we didn't want anyone to know about our being members. When it came time for Shino's preliminary match, I sat up straight, intrigued.

"Oh, wow, Sen." Kaara moaned. "You like him, don't you?" I gave him a funny look.

"I _respect _him and _admire _his _strength. _Got it?" Kaara made a face.

"Right..." I hated Kaara's sarcasm sometimes.

And then I noticed something I never thought I would see in my entire lifetime. Not only was Amaya smiling and staring at Shino's opponent, but I knew who he was. Zaku Abumi. Upon looking around the room, I found Kin Tsuchi and Dosu Kinuta, too, along with their strange-looking sensei.

"Excuse me for a second, Kaara, Kaede." I walked slowly over towards them, checking constantly it was really them. Finally, I reached them, although they were looking the other way. Their sensei eyed me suspiciously. I tapped Dosu on the shoulder.

"Dosu? Is that really you?" He turned around and the one revealed eye lit up. Kin turned around, too, and smiled.

"Sen? Oh, man, it's been so long since we've seen you! Zaku's down there fighting." I hugged both of them and continued on a long conversation. Sadly, Zaku had been injured and had to go to the hospital. I planned to visit him later. Maybe that would cheer him up.

Poor Lee kun had to fight last, against someone named "Gaara." I then returned to my team, to cheer him on. At least I planned to. Something went horribly wrong. Gaara was too strong for him, and Lee kun had too much determination. He wanted to win so badly, he pushed himself too far. My throat swelled as I watched hit after hit and realized how much pain he was in. Everyone in the room was silent. I knew this wouldn't end well. Finally, when I thought I couldn't watch any more, it was over. The Jounin had stepped in, making both of them stop. Even Guy sensei had gone to help. Lee kun had passed out, yet he was still standing. It was heartbreaking to see him in that state, someone so close to me and so hurt. I hadn't blinked since the match had begun. Ten Ten walked up behind me.

"Sen? Are...you OK?"

"When is...When are we allowed to leave?"

"Soon." I sat down where I was, still staring at the battle arena. I couldn't get the images out of my head: Lee kun in so much pain, standing while he had passed out, skin flaking off of Gaara's face, and his hideous grin that seemed almost insane. Ten Ten sat beside me. "He'll be OK, Sen, I promise. Lee's really strong and he'll pull through. He's one of the strongest people I know. Neji and I owe a lot to him..." I feigned a smile, the stoic inside pulling itself out.

I know I should have gone stoic in the first place, when I came here.

**I Promise**

As soon as we were allowed to leave, I went to the hospital. I was slightly late. I made it in as Lady Tsunade was examining Lee kun. Guy sensei was there.

"I hate to say this Lee but...you pushed yourself too hard. You may very well have to...give up on being Shinobi." Lady Tsunade's tone was grim. I could feel heat rushing behind my eyes, flowing cleanly out of them.

Guy sensei was astounded by what she had said. "No! You're not Tsunade! You're...You're some kind of imposter! How could you say that?!"

"I'm afraid it's true, Guy."

"It is OK, sensei. I...I understand." Lee kun's tone was incredibly melancholy. I couldn't believe how bad he must've felt.

"Well...there is...one thing I might be able to do..." Lady Tsuande seemed unsure of herself.

"What? What? Anything!" Guy sensei was jumping at any chance not to lose one of his star pupils.

"Lee would have to undergo surgery. However...this surgery would be incredibly dangerous. There's a good chance it may completely disable him for the rest of his life or worse...it could kill him." Lee kun accepted the surgery, albeit he was very hesitant. Lady Tsunade and Guy sensei left the room.

"Why are you still here? You should go with sensei." Lee kun didn't turn to me, he just sat there, quiet as could be.

"Well...I...um...I wanted to tell you...you were very brave and...I'm sorry that this happened."

"This is not your fault."

"It's not going to be the same without you."

"I will be OK. You should go train. It is the only way you can get stronger."

"I'm not going to be a ninja without you!" I bit my bottom lip and moved around so I could look him in face. I crouched down to his level, since he was sitting. "Lee kun, you've promised to protect those who are close to you. I promise...I promise that won't let you down. I will not be a ninja without you. I promise..." I realized then that I had never actually called him 'Lee _kun' _to his face.

His eyes were wide. "Sen...you just..." His eyes teared up, too, like mine. He smiled. "I accept your youthful determination. It is one hundred percent acceptable. However...you _must _still compete in the Chunin Exams."

I realized we had instinctively grabbed one another's hand and I smiled. "I promise you, Lee kun, I _will not _back down." I hugged him for a few minutes, each of us crying silently, before I got up to leave the room. My hand was on the doorknob.

"Sen? You must promise me one more thing." I turned to look at him, smiling as meaningfully as I could muster.

"Anything for you, Lee kun."

"You must promise me...that you will win your next match in the Chunin Exams. I will go and watch. Can you promise me that?"

"Of course. I won't lose, on any condition."

I walked out of the room, closing it silently behind me. Guy sensei stood there, biting his nails in anticipation. He looked at me.

"What was that all about that took you so long?"

I smiled. "It would take to long to explain...but I cannot lose."

**Am I Alone?**

A two week break between the actual Chunin Exams followed. I noticed that Amaya had been gone one of the weeks. She hadn't told me where she was going, nor that she was going anywhere. She was just up and gone. In celebration of our making it to the Chunin Exams, a dance was held for all of us to attend. Naruto, Kaara, and I were not asked by anyone to go, so instead we decided what we would do. We were too mischievous to stay home, so we decided to go and pull a prank on everyone. We planned that Kaara would go up into the rafters, holding a rope that was attached to a canvas. Inside the canvas, there was bunches of ramen noodles (cold and slimy) and a dust made from a certain, very smelly, dead plant. I was supposed to get up on stage, ask for a slow song and wait until everyone was in the center before giving the signal to Naruto, who would give the signal to Kaara to drop the rope, and the ramen would spill on everyone.

It was very dark out when I left. I was wearing a normal blue dress and flat shoes. I hated shoes with heels on them. I couldn't walk right in them. Underneath my dress, I had slipped on a pair of shorts. You never know when the need to hang upside down would arise. I left the apartment-like thing (which they had given back to me) and walked part-way there. I saw a figure ahead of me in the darkness. I noticed they weren't walking in any direction.

"Who's there?"

"Good to see you again. How's your little crippled buddy doing?" I recognized the voice from the written exam.

"Kabuto? What are you doing out here so late?"

"I should be asking you the _same _question." He walked towards me slightly, into the moonlight.

"Kabuto, I have places to be, pranks to pull, and I don't have time for you_. Goodbye._"

"Give me just a few minutes, please? I watched both of your fights in the Preliminaries, but I'd like to experience the fight first hand."

"OK, tomorrow then. Now if you'll excuse me-" I tried to walk past him but he shoved me back.

"I won't let you leave until we fight." I sighed.

_I see there's no way to talk myself out of this so..._"I suppose I'll just have to do this the hard way, then. Make it fast."

And so we began. I wasn't nearly as good as I could have been. If I wanted to be merciful, I could have just killed him then and there or I could've left him to suffer and bleed to death. But...that would be if I had my ninja tools. It didn't feel right to run in the shoes that weren't ninja regulation. I had been so used to those shoes, it didn't feel right to wear something different. I went to hit Kabuto and he was gone. I stood still, but looked around myself to find him.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are and let's get this over with already!" I taunted, hoping he would reveal himself. Then I realized where he was. At first I thought it had to be a Genjutsu, but then again, Kekkei Genkai could allow strange things. Perhaps it wasn't a Kekkei Genkai. Maybe it was simply a physical ability. Either way, Kabuto had melted into the ground and had a tight grip around my ankles. I hit at his hands, kicked and tried make him let go, but he wouldn't. I stood up straight, exhausted.

"OK, Kabuto you w-" I was about to tell him he had won, but something stopped me. _Two _somethings to be exact. One; Kabuto had released my ankles and was standing in front of me. Two; someone was behind me, with a kunai at my throat and their other hand on my shoulder. I didn't get the chance to look up: the kunai was pressed so tightly to my throat that I was afraid even the slightest move could've slit my throat.

"Thank you, Kabuto..." The voice behind me hissed. It sounded so evil, I could almost feel the air getting heavier and my eyes began to water. "You've done well. Now...This won't take long. I promise."

I tried to muster up some words. "Who...who are you and what do you want?"

"Oh, never mind that. You'll find out soon enough." I could feel their breath closer to my neck. "Feel free to scream in pain. It's like music to me." I didn't know what they were going to do, but I would _not _allow them the satisfaction of knowing that I had been hurt.

But my nerves wouldn't allow that. Despite the numbness to pain that I had acquired due to Zetsu, it still hurt. The second I felt the sharper-than-razor teeth sink into the side of my neck, I couldn't help but scream. It hurt so bad, in fact, that I buckled to my knees. The person released the kunai on my neck and let me fall to the dirt.

The last thing I heard was the hissing voice. "Let's see what the Akatsuki think of that."

--

"Is she alive?"

"She should be. I got the medicine from Lady Tsunade."

"What's that black mark on her neck?"

"That's a cursed mark from you-know-who. If we don't seal it, it could not only cause her enormous amounts of pain for the rest of her life, but it may very well kill her. Unfortunately, I only could seal Sasuke's. I can't seal hers."

"Teach me how, please! I could save her. Please, Kakashi sensei!"

"I'm sorry, Lee. You're too young to learn that. Not to mention, it would take years to master and, as much as I hate to say it... she may already be dead by then."

"Is her heart beating?"

"I don't know! Don't ask me!"

"Lee, you check. Naruto, Kakashi, and I will go get her medicine and water."

I felt something pressed lightly against my chest.

"Oh, Sen, please do not be dead. It is too early for you to die."

A small sniffing sound filled the silence. I moaned. "Lee kun...please get off of me. I'm alive..."

Lee kun sprang up in a sudden jolt of happiness. I tried to sit up, but in the instant I did, pain shot through my spine and into the left side of my neck. "Please, be careful! You are badly injured." Turning to the door, he shouted, "She is awake! Come quickly!" A few moments later, Naruto, Iruka sensei, Kakashi sensei, and a strange woman were in the room with us. Kakashi sensei seemed nervous.

"What...happened?" I closed my eyes and moved my head to one side. The pain beat in rhythm with my heart.

Kakashi sensei answered quickly. "We're not sure."

Naruto spoke up, "You were late for the prank, so I called it off and went to find you. You were lying in the dirt. You'd just passed out, but I thought you were dead. So, I brought you here. Anko helped give you some medicine and now we think you're all better."

The numbing pain made me slightly out of my mind. "Anko...? Who's that...?"

"That's me." The woman spoke up. "I'm Anko Mitarashi."

"Oh...where are we?"

This time, Iruka sensei answered. "We're in a dojo I've opened. The dojo's closed right now, so no one will be entering." They all told me I should rest. I took the invitation gratefully and fell asleep, letting the pain lull me to sleep.

I took the black mark as an item of no harm, and ignored it.

**Something Impossible**

I jumped and down once more as I walked with Team Guy.

"Sen, what're you-"

"Shut up, Neji! I'm excited! Get over it!" Neji sighed and Ten Ten giggled.

"You should know by now, Neji, don't mess with her..." Ten Ten taunted him.

I stopped jumping and put an arm lightly on Lee kun's shoulder. He had to walk on crutches. Bandages covered his body and he couldn't wear his usual outfit. Instead, he wore some sort of green and blue male kimono.

"Are you feeling any better, Lee kun?"

"It still hurts, but yes, I am feeling a small bit better. Thank you." I took my own, bandaged arm off his shoulder and he asked, "Do you remember what you have promised me?"

"How could I forget?" We both smiled. After a few moments of walking, I saw two figures that made my eyes burn. Each was wearing a large scarf around their necks and they had completely black glasses. I couldn't believe my luck.

"Oh, shoot!" I hid behind Guy sensei as we walked, and covered my eyes. If I couldn't see them, they couldn't see me.

Lee kun looked at me. "What is wrong, Sen? Why are you hiding?"

"Shhh!" I whispered. "Don't say my name! They might-"

I heard one figure say to the other, "Did I just hear the word 'Sen?'"

"I think I did, too, Tsuba. And lookie at who's here. It's our old training buddy, Sen!" My former teammates rushed to greet me. Lee kun gave me a sympathetic look.

The two twenty-year-olds each stood on either side of me, one arm around my shoulders.

Tsuba, the one with spiky hair and a slightly feminine face, said, "So, Sen, long time no see. Last time we saw you, you were seven years old!"

I sighed. "Yeah...I know...Time flies when you're having fun, doesn't it?" Tsume used me as a mouthpiece, and I must admit, her sarcasm was dry.

Midori, one who's hair was not as spiky, said to me, "Yeah right! I bet for you it's more like, 'Time flies when you're burning people's faces off,' or 'Time flies when you're impaling people on vines,' or something like that."

"So, Sen, you got a boyfriend yet?" Tsuba laughed.

Midori added in, "Where is he? We'll go show him what Grass Shinobi are made of!"

I sighed, burying my face in my hands, to hide that I was blushing. "I don't _have_ a boyfriend yet, guys."

Midori moaned, "That's too bad. I was hoping that I was going to get to beat the crap out of a Leaf Ninja today." They both laughed.

Tsuba said, "Aw, don't worry. I'm sure the Daimyo will have _plenty _of other tasks for us."

"Wait! Tsuba, did you just say _Daimyo?_" I'm sure I looked astounded.

He laughed. "Well, yeah! Didn't you know? Me and Midori are the _personal bodyguards _of the Daimyo. You could've been like us. I don't know why you're not...Oh, yeah! That's right!" He taunted me. "You quit going to the damn training sessions!"

Midori inquired, "Why the hell _did _you stop coming to training?"

"I...had other things to do..."

Tsuba scoffed. "Yeah, right. I bet its more like, you became Chunin before us and then went to AN-OW!" I stamped on his foot. "What the hell was that for?" He was angry.

"What do you mean, O Wonderful Teammate?" I taunted him. "I'm an innocent little Shinobi. What could I ever do?"

"Lots of things. You almost burned my face off and almost impaled Tsuba!" I stuck my tongue out at Midori.

"I think I know why you stopped going to training." I moaned and looked at the sky. It burned my eyes. "You wanted to abandon your buddies and make us feel bad!" Tsuba and Midori both started laughing.

"Tsuba, Midori, I think we need to get something straight here. Neither of you are in any way my friends. Now, do us all a great favor and either crawl under a rock and die, or go get someone to chop your heads off. Or even better! Why don't I just finish the job! 'Almosts' aren't good enough for me. I could impale Tsuba right now and burn off Midori's entire head! That sounds like fun!"

They laughed at the idea of their sudden deaths. Tsuba rubbed the palm of his hand back and forth on my head, like I was his little sister. "Aw, Midori, listen to our violent little Kunoichi! Isn't she so wonderful? She's learning how to be a Grass Ninja!"

"I'm a Shinobi!" I protested, pushing away Tsuba's hand.

"No, no, you're a Kunoichi. You're a girl. After twelve years, did you forget that?" I crossed my arms and listen to their irritating laughter.

**Revenge From the Heart**

I had finally rid myself of Tsuba and Midori. They had gone up into the stands to watch the Chunin Exams from there. The two of them were already Chunin level.

I was standing on a small balcony-like area with several other ninja, including Naruto and Shikamaru. I stood on the edge of the small balcony-like thing. I couldn't wait until they called my name. I noticed something strange, though. The proctor we had had for the Preliminaries, Hayate Gekko, was no longer proctor. Instead, it was someone named Genma.

I had learned a few things since the Preliminaries. The other two with the boy named Gaara were his older siblings: Temari and Kankuro. I was only able to speak with Temari. She was very nice once you got to know her. She told me a lot of things. However, she spoke sparingly of her brothers.

I had also learned from Zetsu the reason why I could do the Uchiha's Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu. I had a special Kekkei Genkai, called the Koinu, that came only every thousand or so years, and allowed the user to do any element of jutsu, no matter what their basic chakra element was. That was also the reason that I was able to do a jutsu that Haku had taught me, Crystal Ice Mirrors: Devil Region Death.

I sat down where I was, my heart beating as fast as a horse could run.

"Hey, Sen, what's the matter?" Naruto stood in front of me. "I bet you're worried about Bushy Brow, aren't you?"

"Yeah...but I'm sure he'll be OK. He's strong. I have one hundred percent faith in him." I smiled weakly.

Naruto laughed. "There's the spirit! Bushy Brow'll pull through anything! Especially with you and Even-Bushier-Brow-Sensei there for him!" I couldn't help but laugh.

I heard Genma call, "Next match, Gaara of the Desert versus Senari from Kusagakure no Sato!" I realized it was my turn to fight. I grinned.

Revenge was only a few minutes away.

I had promised Lee kun that I would win. This would make him even happier if I won against Gaara. As I walked down to the match arena, I began to have my doubts. If he had the strength to do something that horrible to someone as strong as Lee kun, what were the chances of me winning? I idly felt my body begin to tremble, with fear that I had only felt when my brother was angry.

Gaara stood across from me, Genma somewhat between us. I could see the hate in his eyes. Not for me in particular, but for everyone. Sand versus any other element. I was very nervous. I thought he might end up killing me.

_No more 'just taijutsu,' I _have _to use ninjutsu and genjutsu. There's no way I'll win if I use just taijutsu. If Hayate's dead...I may be able to use _that _jutsu...but what if I have to use one of my Forbidden Jutsu and the Jounin-or worse and more likely, the Grass Daimyo-recognize it? I'll be forced to forfeit my match. Oh, no. I'm think going to lose..._I had barely recognized that Genma had told us to begin. Gaara hadn't moved an inch. I don't even think he blinked. Neither of us moved.

Suddenly, we both decided to attack at the same time. That or he decided to attack and I moved simply on an instinctive impulse. He threw a small amount-compared to what he _could _control-of sand at me. Drawing my kunai as quickly as I could, I sliced it back. What followed was a high-speed, not as fast as the battles Lee kun and I had, battle. Neither of us hit the other.

_Saru, ino, uma, tora..._I put my hands in a funnel-like movement around my mouth and blew as hard as I could. _That _must've _hit him. _After eight years of practicing that jutsu, my fireball had gotten over fourteen meters in diameter. As the air began to quit wavering from the intense heat of that much fire, I could see something that scared me. Gaara was standing there, not a burn mark on him. Sand fell around him, sizzling from the heat. He said nothing.

_Do you need my help, my dear?_

_No, Tsume. Not now. I want to win on my own, for Lee kun._

And so the high-speed battle continued. This time, we were able to hit one another once or twice. Mostly, he hit me. There was only one way left that I could win the battle on my own. If I did, I would kill both of us. It would force everyone to cancel the Chunin Exams. I planned to use this jutsu on Zetsu if I had to, but this may have been the only way I could have won the battle. I wanted to see Leri so badly, but I also wanted to win this battle. I didn't let myself decide, I just did it.

"Angel's Wing Jutsu: Wing of Life!" I heard the crowd gasp and scream as I was engulfed by a twenty foot, iridescent and translucent angel's wing. I had created this Forbidden Jutsu, along with its sister, the deadly one. All this wing would do was that it would act as a shield. Not even Gaara's sand would be able to get through the defenses of the hardened chakra-wing. This would allow me the time I needed to strategize safely. I thought and thought, and I saw no way to win the battle. There was, once more, only one way to win this battle.

I did hand seal after hand seal, fearing I would mess up, but I didn't mess up. Thirteen hand seals left to go and the Wing of Life disappeared. I anticipated the black wing engulfing me. Five, four, three, two...

_What the hell...? _I couldn't move my hand to do the final seal. Upon opening my eyes, I realized that there were Jounin surrounding me. Anko stood in front of me, Kurenai sensei and Asuma sensei's hands were on my mine, stopping me from doing the final hand seal, Guy sensei was behind me with his hands on my shoulders, but Kakashi sensei had not come to the exams yet.

"Let me go!" I tried to wriggle out of their grasps. They all attempted to hold me in place.

"Sen, you've been disqualified from the Chunin Exams." Anko told me calmly.

"No, I have to win! I won't let Lee kun down!"

Guy sensei spoke up. "Sen, Lee will understand. He's got faith in you, just like you have faith in him."

I fell to my knees, crying. I could see that Temari and Kankuro were standing with Gaara.

"You have to let it go. I'm sure Lee will understand, just like Guy said." Kurenai said softly. "Can you calm down, now?"

"Yes. May I...go sit with Lee kun?"

Anko smiled. "Guy and I will go with you." I stood up, the Jounin around me backing away. I never looked up. I hung my head in shame. I had failed Lee kun. Tears rolled off my face and into the dirt.

As we walked back up to the stands, I listened to Genma talking. "Senari has been disqualified. Gaara will be able to compete in the Chunin Exams Final Match once more. Next match..." I paid no more attention. I don't even know whose name was called next. The only thing I felt was the wind and my own shame. I could hear people whispering, saying things about me that I knew weren't true. That brought me back to a painful memory of the Academy, of preschool, and the one boy who had saved me from heartbreak.

I couldn't look Lee kun in the face. I wanted so badly to give him a hug, but he was injured, and I wanted so badly to tell him I was sorry, but I couldn't muster the words. How could I be so scared, after I had fought another Jinchuuriki and risked my life, to simply say two words? Lee kun didn't say anything, either. I stood with him and Guy sensei for a few more matches. Anko was sitting near us.

"Might Guy? We need to speak with you." We all turned around to see who it was that needed to talk to Guy sensei. It was a man in a mask and a black cloak. He was holding a clipboard. I turned back to the current battle. And then I heard tidbits of whispering from the man in the cloak, the ANBU Black Op. "...Pyschologists...her battle and...student is definitely insane...from Kusagakure...even the Daimyo...medical records show insanity...talking to herself...Nine-Tailed Tiger...just like Naruto." Guy sensei was absolutely silent. I only heard him say thank you.


	14. Instigation of Hate 14

**Sacrifice of Something Trivial**

"What's going on?" Amaya asked me as we jumped through the trees. TenTen trailed us.

My expression was grave and serious. "According to the Jounin, Orochimaru has formed a pact with Sunagakure. All ninja are being called to help. Academy students are going to be sheltered in a secret area." I looked back at them. "Brace yourselves, Kunoichi, for this calls for war." Both of them seemed scared by my words, and they should be. Fear meant awareness, and awareness meant clearer thinking. Unless you became panicked.

"Hey, you there! You Kunoichi! You're dead!" I looked down. A man stood there, a Sound headband guarding his forehead.

"I'll make you eat those words!" Tsume was feeling slightly angry, and she was ready to put up a fight. Invouluntarily, I went down to the ground, the girls following me. Drawing my kunai, I challenged him to a fight.

We were losing.

He was too strong for us, and he had already injured Amaya and TenTen to the point that they couldn't fight. I was increasingly angry. I lunged at him, but missed. He grabbed a hold of my long, ebony hair. He had such a tight and close grip that his knuckles were pressed against my scalp. He laughed.

"You incompetent fool! You're all dead! Lord Orochimaru will destroy this pathetic accumulation of weaklings!" Instinctively, I used my kunai to cleanly slice off over two feet of my black hair, taking his index finger along with it. My hair was now boy-style short. I held the two feet of hair in my hand. My opponent stumbled backwards, clutching his hand. It was gushing blood. "Damn you!"

I was so angry, and so willing to let Tsume control me, that my dull blue eyes changed to chartreuse then to red. My fingernails and fang teeth grew longer and sharper. My purple chakra flowed around me, wavering and growing stronger like some kind of a fire. The black mark grew until it engulfed half of my body. It was something of a fire-like design, snaking up and and curling around my eye. Anger and shame from being disqualified and failing Lee kun swelled up inside me. I could use this unfortunate man as a vent.

"If you mess with my friends, you mess with me. If you mess with me, you die...Congratulations...you've just won yourself a one-way ticket to the worst nightmare you could imagine." I don't know how I did it so quickly. One moment, my eyes were red and I was standing ten feet away from the bleeding man and the next moment, I was standing above some kind of bloody mass, blood spattered across my entire body. Wide-eyed, I turned to the two girls. They both looked appalled. "Everything's OK. No more danger." I made a tea out of wild herbs and water I called up from the earth. They drank the tea and I helped to mend their wounds. I didn't bother to wipe the blood off my body.

"Sen...how did you do that?" TenTen was astounded.

"I'm not sure..." I didn't want to scare her.

"How is everyone doing?" We all looked up to see Guy sensei standing behind me. I think it took him some time to recognize me, with my hair cut so short.

"Everyone's fine...well...except him." I pointed to the bloody mass that was hardly worth calling a man. "He's dead." I had absolutely no intention of telling him _I _had killed the man.

"Are the injuries serious?"

"They're sustainable. I'm helping mend them. A few minutes more and they'll be fine."

"Good girl. I trust I can leave you. The best of luck to you all. Here's to hoping I'll see you all alive tomorrow." With that, he left us.

The next day, the horrible news was revealed. Orochimaru had invaded the village. He killed Sarutobi, but the Third Hokage took away the usage of his arms. A large funeral was held. Many lives had been lost. Joy and sorrow were mixed in a flurry of confusion: joy for the fact Orochimaru had not destroyed Konoha, sorrow for all the lives that had been sacrificed. At the funeral, no one except Amaya, TenTen and Guy sensei recognized me. I stood solemnly with Naruto and Kaarayomiihi, all of us alone. Naruto was crying. None of us had a family to cry with, no one to comfort us. Even Hinata had been welcomed back by her father, sister, and cousin.

"Naruto...it's OK. There are many accidents in this world. This was just one of them."

"Orochimaru _meant _to kill the old man."

"That may be, but Orochimaru's own wishes backfired on him. He may have killed Sarutobi, but not after the sacrifice that he had not planned to make. His jutsu were precious to him, so Sarutobi removed his ability to use his jutsu. After which, he may have died, but he died with honor and love in his heart."

"Love and honor, huh? You've been around Bushy Brow and Super-Bushy-Brow-Sensei for too long. But...thanks. It helps."

"You're welcome." I smiled. Inside, I knew there was one thing that I couldn't help him with. How was I to comfort him about our lack of families? I may have a brother, but I count Zetsu as nothing of the sort. Naruto, Kaarayomiihi, and I were alone, and always would be. We had our friends, but we would never have real brothers or sisters or mother or fathers.

_People are so cold. _

**Deceit**

A week later, the smell of mourning and loss was still in the air. I don't know how I knew what mourn smelled like, but I did. The one thing I was happy about was that Tsuba and Midori had been murdered. Even more strange, they were murdered by Gaara. Afterwards, I had personally walked up to him, asked him if he had truly killed two Grass Ninja, and thanked him greatly.

Many people were different, changed and quiet. But the largest change was in Amaya. She was quieter, more polite, and randomly apologized for things she didn't do. Upon asking her why she was this way, she simply told me I would find out soon enough.

I didn't know she was serious.

I walked by myself, into Tanzaku town. I was looking for someone to sharpen my kunai, as it was growing duller than I liked. I had all my ninja tools with me, even my concealed headband. It was even more important for me to hide my headband. I was afraid that if someone saw it, they may become enraged with an unneeded Grass Ninja in Konohagakure.

Randomly, a girl with pink-ish/red hair stopped me. "Please! You're a ninja, right? There's a man trying to murder my family! Please hurry!" As a ninja, it was my duty to help the public, and I saw no reason not to help this girl. I followed her, running, into a dark alleyway. We went so far into the alleyway, I could see no end on either side, just darkness. "They're right down there! Please, my little brother's with them!" I went down the alleyway and found the end just barely behind the darkness.

I turned to her, my arms outstretched to show emptiness. "There's nothing here. Where are they?"

She suddenly lost her childish and harmless demeanor. Her voice became slightly lower. "Fool. Jirobo, Kidomaru, now!" I didn't have the reaction time to put my arms down. Two boys were holding my arms tightly. One of them had six arms and the other one was very large. She removed the cloak she was wearing to reveal that she was wearing the same outfit as the two boys. One more boy appeared near me. He had slightly long, turquoise hair that looked like it was up in some kind of ponytail. He wore the same outfit as the other three, but there was a large summoning scroll on his back. A necklace of red beads was strung around his neck and he had deep turquoise lips.

"That was almost _too _easy, Tayuya." He remarked to the girl, turning slightly towards her.

"Shut up, Sakon. Only half of the mission's done now." I had learned two names. The strange-looking boy's name was Sakon and the girl's name was Tayuya.

"Hey! Don't you tell me to shut up! Whos' the leader here?" I was horrified to see the part that I thought was a ponytail move around to the point that I could see a face and I realized that it was actually another _head. _

Even more to my horror, it _spoke. _"Brother, you're such an idiot. There _is _no leader to the Sound Four." I couldn't help it. I screamed. Curiously, Sakon and The Head turned around.

"Look, Ukon. Our captive seems to be afraid of you." OK...so The Head's name was Ukon...weird. Ukon and Sakon separated into two similar-looking bodies. It was as if they were twins. The only differences were that Ukon wasn't wearing beads or a scroll.

"How curious. Too bad for her. She'll have to get used to it." I felt something hard hit the back of my head and everything went black.

"Hello? Wake up!" I heard snapping in front of my face. I tried to move a strand of my still-boy-style-short hair out of my eye and found I was strapped to a tree in the Forest of Death. What held me to the tree...I think it was...spider web? That day just kept getting stranger and stranger. Tayuya was snapping her fingers in front of my face. "Swallow this." She began trying to force a small, black pill into my mouth. It didn't work. Hours were soon wasted trying to get me to swallow the strange black pill. Each of the five people tried countless times, but none of them worked. Soon, they gave up and sat in random areas around the tree. However, each of them were out of earshot. Sakon (and Ukon, who had re-morphed back into Sakon's body) was the only one left.

"Everyone else has given up," he whispered, a little closer than I would have liked, "but not me. I have one last idea that will most likely work." He closed his eyes, and before I knew it, his lips were pressed against mine. My eyes were wide with not only shock, but disgust that some stranger was kissing me. I'm sure I had turquoise on my lips now, so there was no way to hide it. He pulled away, and as I began to cough, he stuck the pill in my mouth. He put one hand over my mouth and forced me to swallow it. I passed out again.

_For once in my lifetime, I was dreaming. It was a little more like a memory, though. It was of Leri. The day we met, several times when we played together, but mostly of the night I left him. Then, I was suddenly seven again. I was wearing my fancy brown dress. Leri's back was turned. Happily, I called to him. He didn't turn. Becoming more and more upset each time I called, I continued to say his name, until I was crying and my voice was hoarse. It felt like I had been screaming bloody murder for four hours straight. A small glimmer of hope appeared as he turned his head slightly, the area around his eyes red and raw. He was crying. I didn't really hear him say anything, but it seemed as if he had said, "Sen...why did you leave me?" I was speechless, realizing the hate and longing that was in his icy blue eyes._

I bit my lip and felt a warm tear trickled down the side of my face. That woke me up immediatly. The only thing I could feel was the cold stones beneath me. Darkness surrounded me on all sides. I was vaguely aware of two other presences around me. As my eyes adujusted to the darkness, I was able to scope out my surroundings. It was almost like the Akatsuki lairs: made completely of stone, very little light, and cold. Only there was less light here. There was someone standing behind me, as if keeping guard, and someone standing roughly ten feet in front of me.

Then I heard the Hissing Voice, the one whose owner had bit me the night of the Konohagakure dance. "Poor little Senari, three years old and all alone...don't we feel bad for her, Kabuto?"

"Yes, My Lord," came the voice behind me. Kabuto! That traitor! He had been a traitor to both the Akatsuki and Konoha.

The Hissing Voice continued, "And look, she's got a foster father, now. An Uchiha, correct? Oh, how irritated Itachi was when he found out there was another living Uchiha! He got rid of Kei quickly. But still, poor little Senari was all alone, with her only companion being her toy...If only Zetsu hadn't killed her family! She entered preschool, and everyone_ hated _her. But one little blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy wanted to be her friend: Leri Seijitsu. So weak, so easy to kill. He didn't feel much pain, I assure you. They were the best of friends, always together. Little Senari acceled ahead of her friend, so far that she was an ANBU by age six. Wasn't she so talented? Her teammates, Tsuba and Midori, were over double her age, and half as strong. Gaara, as you know, saved us from that job. At that same age, she was taken away from Kei and given to her grandmother, Siya. So old and frail...age waits for no one, you know. Senari became so upset, she murdered. She was counted as dangerous, and wasn't supposed to be with her one friend. Once again, she was all alone...She left Kusa, and found friends elsewhere. She found Haku and Zabuza, who were recently killed by your precious 'Kakashi sensei.' She found Team Dosu. I had to use them as sacrifices." All this time, as I listened to the Hissing Voice's interpretation of my life, I had to dodge weapons being thrown at me randomly, from the silencing and heavy darkness. "And then, the ten-year-old Senari ran into her worst nightmare...Zetsu, who treated her as if she weren't human. She became acquainted with the Akatsuki, whom she mistakenly called her foster family. They didn't know she was a Jinchuuriki, but they do now. If she goes back now, they'll kill her. She made a friend inside the Akatsuki: Nikki Kaede. She was quite strong, as she was a Jinchuuriki, too. It took twenty-nine of my best ninja and a dirty little lie to kill her. Then Senari went to Konohagakure. She made so many new friends, she was overwhelmed with happiness.

"We owe your location to your close friend, Amaya Yuhi. Zaku did the honors. Kaarayomiihi Netzu, the worst kind of pyromaniac, was burned in his own fire. Unmei was blown up by her own brother, and your sensei, Deidara. Rock Lee's surgery was unsuccessful. The Akatsuki got a hold of Naruto Uzumaki. Sasuke Uchiha messed with Itachi too soon. I'm sure TenTen didn't enjoy being impaled on one hundred and fifty different kinds of weapons at one time. Anko Mitarashi, dear Anko, was overwhelmed by her cursed mark. I'm afraid she went insane. Your crush-let's keep his name undisclosed," the Hissing Voice chuckled, "was suffocated while he slept. And finally, all the Hidden Villages, except this one, have been told of your being an Akatsuki member, and being a Jinchuuriki." Silence. No weapons were thrown at me.

Anger welled up inside me. I believed him. Tears flowed down the sides of my face. "What's your point!? Who are you!?"

"Hush, now, hush. Listen to me."

"I've listened to you for the past five minutes! Tell me what you want!" Kabuto kicked me sharply in the back.

"Well, well, aren't we upset? Cool off. I know the kinds of things you're into. I was once one of them, too."

"Impossible! The only Akatsuki member to ever quit on circumstances other than death was Oro-"

"Orochimaru." The owner of the Hissing Voice stepped out of the shadows and into the light. "Congratulations. You're looking at a legend."

Fear overcame the anger and I scrambled back, until I hit Kabuto's feet and was kicked forward. I suddenly felt very small, in comparison to this legendary figure. He wore a Chunin jacket, like Shikamaru had acquired. His hair was a small bit shorter than mine had been before it was cut, and just as dark, too. His skin had an unnatural grey pallor to it, but I had that same pallor, only white. A purple streak in the corner of each eye was unmistakable against his yellow eyes. They weren't completely yellow, like my brother's; only the iris was yellow. He wore strangely shapped earrings that looked quite foreign.

My breath faltered numerous times as I stared in awe and disbelief. He simply smiled. I couldn't blink. Nor did I believe I was awake, but the pain from the last time Kabuto had kicked me told me it was real.

"What's the matter...? Are you that in awe of a simple person that you must stare? It's quite rude, you know." He made this all seem so formal, yet it wasn't, formal nor casual. How could you classify something like being kidnapped as formal or casual? So many random thoughts swarmed through my head, swimming back and forth, whispering and laughing.

I went to grab one of my weapons, to try to defend myself. I was shocked to find none of my ninja pouches were there, not even the one that had housed my kunai.

Frowning, Orochimaru picked up two small bags, holding them upside-down. "Was that it? Tsk, tsk. You'd think a ninja that grew up with the danger of the Akatsuki would carry more than that." He picked up my dull kunai off the table. "The full twenty-two inches, I see...interesting." He dropped the kunai to the floor, clattering with an incredibly loud and echoing noise.

"You...you took my weapons..."

"What can I say...? You've been in a half-death state for two days straight. I was getting bored, waiting for so long. Not to mention that I began to doubt that Kabuto could revive you..."

My eyes thinned. "Nevermind. I still have my jutsu." I began to do a few hand seals. Then, Kabuto put his hand on mine.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You're wearing a Chakra Bracelet." My hand itched to hit him, but I refrained.

"So what do you want, Orochimaru?" I gasped as Kabuto kicked me again.

"While you're here, you will refer to him as either 'Lord' or 'Lord Orochimaru.' Got it?" He hissed. I stuck my tongue out at him.

Orochimaru chuckled.

"Fine. What do you want, _Lord _Orochimaru?" Malice poisoned my words.

"I want only to help you. I can make you stronger, so you can achieve the revenge you so desire. I only ask of you two things: you must not go back to your home until I tell you and you must always follow directions as so given. You have a choice. You could return to Konohagakure and be exiled or killed. You could return to the Akatsuki and endure the deadly, two-day extraction jutsu. Or...you could stay here, and become stronger. Which will it be...?" I looked down at the ground, contemplating for a long time. Minutes passed. "Well? What is your answer?"

I looked up at him, my face stoic and stolid. "What are the first orders, My Lord?" A thin smile spread across his face.

"I knew you were sensible enough to make the right choice. Good girl..."

_Why is it everyone says 'good girl' to me? Zetsu, that guy from the Chunin Exams Preliminaries, and now Orochimaru? Something's gotta be messed up here. _I wondered as 'Lord' Orochimaru began to talk with Kabuto.

"She should change into the typical Sound attire, My Lord, if I may suggest," Kabuto said.

"Hmn...yes, you're right. Someone needs to escort her to somewhere in which she can change." Lord Orochimaru began to rattle off random names, and Kabuto would answer by saying that person was on a mission or that they were somewhere else. "Are any of my daughters here at all?"

"No, sir."

He sighed. "Sakon is the only one. That's so wonderful...Very well, if he's the only choice. Call him in here." Kabuto left the room. I drew on the ground with my finger, never daring to look up. A few minutes later, Kabuto returned, the turquoise-haired boy (I had already forgotten his name) following him. Lord Orochimaru looked at me. "Sen, Sakon will take you to where you can change into the typical outfit the Sound Ninja wear. Please, follow him with no questions."

I stood up and bowed. "Yes, My Lord." I turned to the boy and bowed again. He shook his head and walked out the door. I ran to catch up with him. Standing next to him, I could tell he was a few inches taller than me. Maybe two inches, perhaps less. I remembered that this boy, whatever his name was, was the one whose twin was attatched to him. As my eyes strayed to what was supposed to be his twin, I noticed that his twin was making faces at me. I stared at him for a second before I began to giggle.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you suddenly so happy?" Then he noticed what his twin was doing. "Ukon! Stop it!"

"What?" He asked. "I didn't do anything!"

"You were flirting with her!"

"Flirting?! Are you kidding me?! There's a three-year difference! _You're _the one who's most likely to flirt with her!"

"Me?! She's two years younger than me!"

_Oh dear...maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all..._

"That doesn't stop you from liking her! You're the one who kissed her to get her to swallow the pill!"

"You're the one who gave me the idea to kiss her!"

"I only said that because I knew you liked her!"

_"I do not!" _Both of them were them silenced as we continued to walk. I don't know how he knew where we were going, but he never stopped walking. When I thought it would never end, he opened a hidden door and let me walk in. This room, like all of them, was very dark. I could see there was a closet in one part of the room and a small, chair-like bit in the very middle, but it was one of the smallest rooms I had ever seen, about the size of my bedroom in the Akatsuki lair, the one in Amegakure.

The boy walked over to the closet and pulled out an outfit that was almost exactly the same as his, without the scroll or beads, though. "Change into this." He threw it at me, and I barely caught it. "Need my help?"

I blushed. "No! Um...aren't you going...to leave the room?"

"No. Why would I do that...? Oh, yeah. You don't know about the trick doors. Sometimes, when you close them, they're pretty hard to open again."

"Oh...well...um...here." I grabbed a throw blanket off of the chair-like thing and draped it over his head.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"Are you an idiot or something?"

"I can't even see you from over here! It's too dark!"

"I don't _care. _Keep it on your head anyway."

"Fine, fine...have it your way..." He put the blanket on his head again and folded his arms. Quickly, I undressed and changed into the outfit. Once I had to get the purple bow on, I couldn't tie it. I searched frantically for what the boy's-or his brother's- name was. The words had completely and utterly left me. I tried to say his name out loud, and completely messed up. As if he could read my mind, he said, "You need my help, don't you?"

I blushed again. "Um...uh...yes, please?" He sighed and took the blanket off of his head. Taking his time, he walked towards me. I felt like telling him to hurry up. He was walking at a tortoise's pace, and not the Ninja Tortoise Guy sensei would sometimes summon to help us with training. That was the fastest tortoise I had ever seen.

Finally, after taking his sweet time, he reached me. I raised my arms up slightly and he began to tie the bow. "By the way, my name is _Sakon."_

"And my name is Ukon," His brother added.

"No one asked you, Ukon."

"No one asked you, either, Sakon! She just tried to _say _your name! She didn't ask you what it was."

"I would count that as asking! I don't see how-"

"Please!" I said, at an accidental volume that scared even me. Lowering my tone, I said, "Just tie the bow, please. I don't like arguements."

After he had once again taken enough time (long enough to make my arms tired) to tie the bow, we exited the room. He seemed at a loss.

"What now?" He looked at me. I shrugged.

"What is there to do here?" I was eager to begin training.

"Well, I could've introduced you to the Sound Five, er...the Sound _Seven, _but the only other ones who I think are here are...yeah, just Kimimaro, and he's sick."

Silence in the darkness followed. I began to feel woozy as I forgot to breathe. I could tell he was deep in thought.

"Sakon! Ukon! You idiots! Where are you?!" It was a female voice, and she was angry. Sakon's eyes grew wide.

"Oh, crap...It's Mailo..."


	15. Instigation of Hate 15

**Friends in Unexpected Places**

Sakon seemed to quiver with fear. Ukon uttered no sound. I attempted to ask them who Mailo was, but they made no reply. They didn't move out of their place.

"Why aren't we going anywhere?" I asked.

"Shhh!" Sakon hushed me, one finger to my lips. "Quiet or she might know where we are! We're not moving because we don't know where _she _is!" He pulled me down into the deep shadows. We both sat in the darkness, so close our knees were touching. I couldn't see Sakon or Ukon beside me, but I'm sure they could see me, because of the pallor of my skin. I seemed to glow sometimes. But it was only and optical illusion.

"What's so bad about this Mailo girl, anyways?" I whispered.

Finally, Sakon-or Ukon, their voices sound relatively the same-answered me. "Mailo is one of Lord Orochimaru's several daughters. She's Sakon's age, fourteen, and madly in love with Kimimaro. But when she gets bored, she decides she wants to fight. And _we _seem to be her main targets."

"Sakon, Ukon...I know where you are and the more you hide, the worse you're gonna get hurt..." She sang. To me, the more I heard about her, she seemed to be quite injurious. Well, at least towards Ukon and Sakon. I started to feel bad for them.

A girl walked around one of the numerous dark corners, her hands on her hips. Her skin was as pale as father's and she had black hair as long as mine had once been. Her eyes were the same red as Amaya's had been. Her outfit was completely black: a short shirt, a short skirt, and black shoes.

Her red eyes scanned the darkness, looking for Ukon and Sakon. She paused, seeming to know where we were. It felt like she was staring directly at me. I was about to say something. I don't know why, and I don't know what, but I wanted to shout to her, to tell her where we were.

Just as I took in a deep breath to yell to her, I felt a hand cupped tightly over my mouth and I was pulled backwards. Sakon and Ukon hit the wall. I fell back against Sakon, his hand still cupped firmly over my mouth. I struggled to get his hand off my mouth and even tried to bite him, but it didn't work. Muffled, I screamed over and over again. Sakon's other hand was around my waist, disabling me from getting up.

Mailo noticed this and saw us. I could tell Sakon was angry, mostly at me. "Hey! Sakon, what on earth are you doing to her? Let her go!"

"Or what?" He protested, just to be stubborn.

"Let her go and I won't beat you up today."

He was silent. I kept screaming and digging at his hands with my long fingernails. "Today _and _tomorrow and I'll let her go."

"Fine. Let her go." He hesitated. "_Now, Sakon._" He mumbled but slowly pulled away both of his hands. The one he had cupped over my mouth was covered with bite marks, even bleeding in one spot. I sat up quickly, dusting myself off and glaring at him. "Go, Sakon. I think Dad needed you for something."

"I'll bet my ryo you're lying."

"It's true. It was something about a new mission." Sakon mumbled in protest, but he went anyways. Mailo mumbled something once he was out of earshot. I bowed to her. "What's that for?"

"Um...Thank you very much for saving me. I have heard a small amount of you from Sakon and Ukon, but they made you seem evil and cold hearted. I think it is maybe they who are evil and cold hearted."

She laughed awkwardly. "Uh...sure? So, hey, who are you and what're you doing here? Moreover, why're you wearing a Sound outfit? I've never seen you around here."

"Oh, yes...Um...Lord Orochimaru brought me here, er...Sakon and Ukon, I mean. Along with...others...M-My name is Sen." I bowed again.

"Oh, well then...Nice to meet you, Sen! I'm Mailo! How many Sound Ninja have you met?"

I thought back to the Sound Ninja I had mutilated. "A few..."

"Have you met Kimimaro?"

"I've...I've heard about him."

"Well I'd introduce you, but Kabuto sensei said he needed his rest. I'm sure you'll meet him sooner or later."

Mailo and I became friends, and it made training that much easier to know that I still had a live friend to speak with. I was so upset with Lord Orochimaru, my sadness was inexplicable. The biggest reason why I was upset with him was because he had spoken badly about Leri, and that he had murdered him in cold blood.

Sakon and Ukon were put in charge of me and my training. They were supposed to make sure that I didn't get lost or die or anything like that. To be honest, I didn't feel very safe with Sakon. I learned that Ukon was nicer than Sakon, and often times, he was the funnier one. Even worse, I had to share a room with the two of them. There were no currently available rooms. I was able to meet Kimimaro, along with Kidomaru, Tayuya, and Jirobo. All of them became my friends. At one point however, Kidomaru asked me to follow him. Out of curiosity, I did. The room he led me to was dark, and the only thing I could see a single chair.

"Sit down. Make yourself comfortable." Uneasy, I sat in the chair, squishing myself together. I asked him why I was here. He said nothing. "Put your arms down." I did what he said and suddenly felt two arms behind me, tying me to the chair. I struggled, but was unable to get out of the chair. I had been tied to the chair. Before I knew it, Sakon, Ukon, Tayuya, Kidomaru, and Jirobo stood in front of me. They all looked upset.

"We need to get some things straight..." Sakon hissed.

"We have rules here." Tayuya had her hands on her hips.

"And we're not letting some goody-two-shoes Grass Shinobi get away with things just because she doesn't know what's wrong and what's right." Jirobo had his arms crossed, glaring down at me. I must admit, with all of them glaring at me like they were, I was quite intimidated. And so they told me the rules. I didn't mind. In fact, I thought that they were relatively easy to follow, compared to my brother's rules.

**I Should Have Known**

"Sen! Get back here!" I stuck my tongue out at Sakon as I ran. He was visibly angry. "Come on!" I had forgotten why he was chasing me up and down the stairs, but he was.

I ran up the stairs and left him behind. I looked down over the edge and saw him two floors below me. Laughing, I stuck my tongue out again. This continued for five more minutes. It was quite entertaining. Every time, Sakon would be below me or above me. Never once did he make it to the same floor as I did.

Looking over the side, my laughing ceased. I scanned each floor with my eyes, seeing Sakon nowhere. I frowned and started back down the stairs. I heard a noise behind me and turned my head as I walked. Suddenly, I felt something on my throat.

"Finally...I've got you." I turned my head back to face forward and saw Sakon. He was a little too close for my personal comfort. "You shouldn't have ran. That's one thing you'll learn while you're here." He was so close, I could feel his body heat seeping into the coldness of my bones. He licked his lips and drew closer. Then, he kissed me, long and drawn out. I couldn't pull away. I did the only thing I could think of. I used a Dark Style jutsu that I had made. It was Dark Style: Houdini's Grand Finale Jutsu. A stuffed doll of me took my place and I rematerialized a few floors above, curled up in a ball by myself. I don't know why he had done that. I was shocked and scared, to say the least.

"Sen? Sorry about that. Are you ready to train?" I looked up to see Sakon standing there. My heart beat incredibly fast. No...wait...it wasn't Sakon. It was Ukon. Sakon and Ukon had switched places. No red beads were strung around his neck. I calmed down slightly. "Come on. It's time to go train." I nodded and stood up, uneasily following Ukon to the training area. The rest of the day, surprisingly, went as planned.

**A Prank on Sakon**

"Sen, what are those ribbons for?"

"Shhh!" I hushed Kimimaro. "I'm going to play a prank on Sakon while he's asleep, but _be quiet!_" Kimimaro watched quietly as I snuck around the corner, into a living room-like area. Sakon had fallen asleep while he was sitting up, but he was sleeping nonetheless. Taking two of the four ribbons, I gently tied his hair into a pair of pigtails. Then, I did the same to Ukon.

Smiling, I walked back to where I had been. "You've got to be insane." Kimimaro shook his head.

"I know." I grinned. "Isn't it just so wonderful? Wait 'til Mailo sees this."

"Do you know what's he going to do to you when he finds out?"

"Nope, and I don't care."

"Alright, fine...but don't come crying to me when he hurts you."

"I won't." I made a smart remark, "I'll go crying to Mailo and make sure she tells you." I grinned and Kimimaro sighed.

A few minutes later, Sakon woke up. I was sitting in a different chair, reading a scroll. Sakon was silent before he asked me something very quietly.

"Why are you here...?" I made a face at him.

"Oh, but, _Sakon_..." I drew out his name so it ended with a breathy sigh, a flirting move Amaya had once taught me. The only flirting I knew how to do was flirting with Death. "I thought you _wanted _me to be here." He sighed.

"My only guess is that you did something to me."

"No. I didn't do anything."

He moaned. "Fine. I need to go talk to Tayuya." He stood up, stretched, and walked out of the room. A moment later, I heard Tayuya ask what was wrong with his hair. He came back into the room. "Sen, what did you do?"

"What? Innocent little me? I couldn't harm a fly."

_Of course you couldn't, Miss Bug-Princess. _I scolded myself.

Sakon grumbled something. Soon, he had spoken with all the Sound Seven except Ukon, Mailo, or Kimimaro. Each time, he asked me what I had done to him, and I replied by telling him I hadn't done a thing. Finally, he came back in the room. "Alright, Sen. This is the _last _time I'm asking you..._What _in the _hell _did you _do _to _my hair_?"

I smiled. "Nothing, Sakon san." I used an honorific, to give the words more value. "Your hair looks perfectly fine. Doesn't it, Ukon san?"

Ukon commented, "No, Sen. I see absolutely nothing wrong with Sakon's hair: It's in perfect little pigtails. But I _am _unhappy you did it to me, too." I smiled.

"See, Sakon? There's nothing wrong with the pigtails."

Sakon replied, "You know what? Now I'm going to make _you _wear your hair like that for two days straight. It's long enough, now." So, they made me take the pigtails out of their hair. Kimimaro was watching in the background silently.

"_Sakon, Ukon_," I moaned, flirtaciously again (please understand that I did **_NOT _**and **_DO NOT _**like either of them), "you should have left your hair up. Mailo would have _loved _it."

"Oh, yeah, right. Mailo would be laughing her head off at our misfortune at being stuck with you." Ukon was the most upset.

"Hey," Sakon surprisingly defended me, "be a little nicer. She was only playing a joke."

"There you go!" Ukon said. "I just knew it! You like her!"

"How do you get that I like her from telling you to be nice?!"

"Why else would you defend her!?"

"Because _I'm _supposed to make sure _she's_ not _hurt!"_

"That's not going to hurt her!"

I said quietly, "I can stand words..." The two brothers ignored me.

"I'll bet it will! It'll hurt her _emotionally!_"

"You like Sen! You like Sen!" Ukon sang.

"I do not! I do not! I do not!"

"Yes, you do! You won't leave her alone!"

"Yes, I will! When she tells me to!"

"Why'd you kiss her?!"

"I never did that!" He blushed.

"Ha ha! Liar, liar! You're lying! You kissed her!"

"I did not!"

"So why'd you do it, huh?!"

"I don't know!"

"So you admit it! You _did _kiss her!"

"Shut up!"

"Or what?!"

"I don't know!"

"Why don't you just ask her out!?"

"Because!"

"Because?! That means you do like her, you just don't have an excuse for why you haven't asked her out yet!"

"I do not! I do not like her! I did not kiss her! Why won't you just shut up?!"

"Because I'm your older brother! That's my job!"

"I hate your job! I wish you'd get fired!"

"Are you saying you want me to die?!"

"No, of course not, Brother! If I wanted you to die, I'd be upsetting your girlfriend: Sen!"

"Oh, I see how you are now! Turning it around on me, huh?!"

All this while, I was blushing, backed away from the two of them.

"Of course! Obviously, if you're saying that _I _like her, that means that _you _like her!"

"I don't like her! You do! She's three years younger than me!"

"She's two years younger than me! How could I-"

"Sakon!" I grabbed his arm, digging my fingernails into his arm. "Please...please, just stop..."

"You're right. My apologies, Sen. _No _apologies, _Ukon._" I hated sibling arguements. I had experienced too many in which I could say not a word. I could only listen and expect to be hurt.

The next day, Sakon woke me up. I moaned and asked him what he wanted. It was almost midnight. He told me he was true to his word and that at the stroke of midnight, it would be officially a new day. And a new day meant the beginning of having to wear my short (yet slightly longer) hair in pigtails. For him, it meant revenge. Using small purple string, he tied it up. He had timed it perfectly so that, right when midnight struck, my hair was up. Then, I went back to bed. I didn't mind having my hair up. No one else seemed to mind, either. Mailo thought it was cute and said I should wear it more often like that. I told her that no idea of Sakon's was to be thought over for too long, and she agreed.

**Girl Talk**

Mailo liked to talk to me about a lot of things. She said that she couldn't talk to one of her friends about things like love or people she liked. So, she talked to me. I listened and talked with her. I had told her how I had gone out with Uchiha Sasuke and she said that her father had mentioned that name once or twice, along with Uchiha Itachi.

"So...Sen...I've noticed that Sakon hasn't been leaving you alone...what's that about?" Mailo asked me. We were sitting in her room. I was sitting on the floor, leaned against a wall and she was sitting on her bed. It reminded me dreadfully of when I had been staying with Amaya.

"Um...well...I'm not too sure..." I mumbled.

"Hmn. You don't like him do you? He's a pervert and I don't think you should be _anywhere _near him. But _Dad _says that Sakon _has _to watched you or else you might get in trouble. What kind of trouble would _you _get into?"

"Trouble...? I don't know..."

She laughed. "Innocent little you! You're so quiet and you look so innocent, how could you hurt anyone?"

"They always say the quiet are bent on world destruction and are silently working out how to get it right." _Only my leader's the one who's bent on world destruction, world peace and...well, I think Leader's gone insane...what with him being a self-proclaimed deity..._

"I think I've heard that before." Silence followed. "So...Sen...You've listened to me talk about _my _boyfriend. How about yours?"

I stopped breathing. Why was it that subject always stunned me? "I...I don't really..._have _a boyfriend..."

"Well...I heard Dad say something about keeping your crush's name undisclosed. Who's your crush?"

I sighed, horrible honesty taking over. "I don't remember his name. But...There is my friend...His name is Rock Lee, but...to me he's just Lee kun. We're sparring partners."

Mailo frowned. "There's a big difference between him being your sparring partner and your boyfriend. If he's your sparring partner, then you fight with him all the time. If he's your boyfriend, then you'd kiss him. If he's your crush, then you'll be really nice and wouldn't fight with him so much. You'd do something that both of you like."

"Both of us like being ninja and improving our skills."

She shook her head. "Do you know how much sense you actually make?"

"No, I'm afraid I don't."

"Fine...How many _male _friends do you have?"

"Um...well, there's Lee kun, Naruto, Leri, Kiba, Neji, Shikamaru, Choji, Sasuke, Itachi, Tobi, umm...that...that one kid...Kaarayomiihi, Kisame, Leader, I suppose I could count Sakon and Ukon as friends...Kimimaro, Kidomaru, Jirobo, Haku...ummm...I'm pretty sure there's more...I can't remember right now."

"Whoa, whoa, **_WHOA. _**Did you just say _Shikamaru?_"

"Oh...um...I-I'm sorry. Is...is it a bad thing to be friends with him...?"

Mailo began to laugh boisterously. I had never seen her so happy before. "Oh my god, I never thought I'd hear his name again!"

"Oh...are you friends with him...? Do you like him...?"

"Ha! Are you kidding me? I wish he'd die! Shikamaru and I used to date but, I hate him now. I forget what he did, but...he did something that made me upset!" I looked down, contemplating. "Hmn? Sen, are you OK?"

"Oh...Oh, y-yeah! I-I'm fine!"

_Do not lie, my dear murderess...Lies and pride will kill you, remember? _Tsume purred in her typically sadistic voice.

_Yes, Tsume...I apologize...I should not have done that but...must I tell her the truth about this?_

_I will let it go this time, my dear...but next time, do not allow human instinct to overcome your power. The Akatsuki have tuaght you so many things...remember them._

"Are you sure you're OK?"

"Yes, it's just...just normal for me."

"Well...alright, if you say so..."

**Poor Kimimaro**

"Oh, crap." Kimimaro had a worried look on his face. His arm was behind his back. "Shoot! Just as I thought...Damn it!"

"Oh...Kimimaro san...are you OK?" I asked, looking at him worriedly. All of the original Sound Five were in the room.

"The bone is _stuck _in the _bow._"

"Ohhhh, dear..." I moaned. Tayuya, Kidomaru, Sakon, and Jirobo began laughing at Kimimaro's misfortune. "No, no! This is not funny! Let me help you..." I crouched behind him, picking up his hand to see where it was stuck at. A small piece of bone was protruding from the side of his hand and had ultimately been caught in one of the frayed ends of rope. The purple string was wrapped tightly around the joint of the bone.

"How badly is it caught?" He asked, craning his neck to see what I was doing.

"Not..._extremely _bad...bad enough that I need a shuriken or something to get it off, though..."

"Damn! I knew it! Uh...here..." He fished a few senbon and a shuriken out of his ninja pouch. I took the shuriken, not seeing how I could use the needle-like senbon to cut such strong string. With that, I beagn to saw away at the dark purple string. After a few minutes, it gave way and finally snapped. Standing up with a sigh of relief, I handed Kimimaro back his shuriken.

"I think it got slightly dulled. May want to get it resharpened."

"Um...thanks."

"Yeah, you're welcome. It's the least I could do. After all, you're my friend's boyfriend. It only makes sense." And then, I ignored him for a moment. I began to flick Ukon in the forehead. "Ukon! You lazy bum! Wake up!"

"You're giving me a headache!" Sakon yelled.

"Deal with it!" I yelled back. Tayuya burst out laughing. "Ukon!" I flicked him as hard as I could.

"What, what, what?! I was sleeping!"

"Exactly! You should have been awake! Poor Kimimaro san got his bone stuck in the frayed bow! I was the only one who would help him! If you were awake, you could have helped him!"

"Who says I would have helped someone?!"

"I do! You would have helped him if I told you to!"

"Or what else?"

"Lord Orochimaru put the two of you in charge of making sure I didn't get hurt! I have _kunai, senbon, and shuriken, _and they're all incredibly sharp! I can cut myself very easily and frame you and Sakon even more easily!"

Ukon went to protest, and so did Sakon, but Kidomaru cut them off with a sigh. "The two of you had better give it up. Sen's got the both of you wrapped around her little fingers." I smiled, pleased. Ukon sighed and went back to sleep. Sakon said nothing. I silently thanked Kidomaru. He shrugged.

Lord Orochimaru taught me _tons _of Jutsu, some being useless, some being strong, but the great majority of them were Forbidden Jutsu. He even taught me how to seal Kekkei Genkai. He said it caused the user of the Kekkei Genkai unbearable amounts of pain.

Most importantly, Lord Orochimaru made an incredible effort to make me understand the Cursed Mark in all its states, in all ways, and all uses. He taught me how to activate it. From what I vaguely remembered Kakashi sensei saying, the way he spoke of it, the Cursed Mark was a damnation. But the way Lord Orochimaru spoke of it and taught me to use it, it was more of a blessing. Lord Orochimaru told me my Cursed Mark was special because it had two different levels of the second stage. There was a premature stage and then a mature stage. I was much more powerful in my mature stage than the premature. Not to mention, I found out how Tsume could use her power along with my Cursed Mark, in all stages. In my Premature stage, I looked relatively the same. My skin acquired a storm-cloud grey-ness to it, my hair became slightly frizzy, and I grew an nice-looking pair of wings. One both sides of me, I had one large dragonfly-like wing, a medium one, and a small one that was barely over the size of my hand. To be honest, if I looked like anything, I looked like a Goth Dragonfly. In my Mature stage, my wings grew together and protruded more from my back. They became scaled and strangely-shaped. It was easier to fly in that stage. Also, my skin became as dark as a shadow, my eyes changed so that they were completely black except for two white slits, like cats' eyes, and my voice became much quieter and painful to use, so it sounded incredibly scratchy. Mailo said that she and some of her sisters had the Cursed Mark of Heaven, and her theory was that, due to its design, she thought I had the Cursed Mark of Hell. She got that theory from a friend of hers that she calimed was in the Akatsuki: "Mutt" or "Mutsuki." Frankly, I agreed with her. My Cursed Mark did look relatively like a flame.

Lord Orochimaru had me fight all the Sound Five, not including Mailo, in their second-state forms. I fought in my Second State, both Premature and Mature stages. I must admit, all of them were difficult to defeat. Kidomaru almost impaled me several times, actually succeeding in impaling my right hand. He also impaled one of the small wings in my Premature Stage. Jirobo was slightly easy to beat: he excelled in Earth Jutsu, or dirt, and dirt is turned to mud by mixing with water. From training with Zabuza, I learned lots of Water Jutsu. Tayuya and her Doki, however, were very hard to beat. The only counter I could think of to Sound Jutsu and Ogres is Sound Jutsu and my own Summoning Jutsu. I must admit, however, that Torayuki and her sisters didn't do much good against the Doki. Nonetheless, I beat her, after hours upon hours of fighting. And finally, Sakon and Ukon almost made me die laughing when we fought. Not only did they look funny, but they kept arguing. When we actually _did _start, fighting, I regretted not remembering Tsume's warning of pride. They were harder to beat than I thought. They made me graduate to my Mature state and resort to, as Zetsu called them, my "dirty tricks," or my Darkness Jutsu. I even had to use a torture Genjutsu, that made them feel like their heads were being torn off slowly and sliced very patiently. I didn't think I would win, but I did. Lord Orochimaru said he saw great promise in me.


	16. Instigation of Hate 16

**Recap**

Training with the Sound Seven took over ten hours every day, maybe even more than twelve. I would usually wake up about 6:00 am, I would eat a small breakfast, then wait for Sakon and Ukon to wake up for training. Then, I wouldn't normally stop training until roughly 5:00 pm.

Mailo and I became almost exactly like sisters. She told me a lot about her friends, like Sun Cat and Mutt, and her sisters, whose names I can't remember. The longer I stayed there, in Otogakure, the more I began to develop a theory. However, this theory was untested, unanswered, but in no way was it unsupported.

Leri had always had pale skin like I did, but it had more of a grey tone to it. Not to mention, his voice was always quiet, as though he couldn't get it much above a whisper. When he and his mother had told me about his father, they always said he was a strong and idolized ninja from Konohagakure, though I'd never met the man. They had never told me his name. Now, Mailo had _plenty _of half brothers and sisters, so (at least to me) this was a perfectly reasonable theory...

What if Leri, the boy who basically saved my life, was the son of Lord Orochimaru, who had almost ruined my life?

I didn't have the guts to ask Lord Orochimaru, nor did I believe that I ever would. And of course, I had no chances of asking Leri, as Lord Orochimaru had simply murdered him in cold blood. But why would he murder his own son to get to his friend? That made no sense to me. In fact, it made me quite upset. Not only was my best friend dead, but I had not seen him in five years.

Nonetheless, I remembered all of the things Zetsu had done, all the times he'd hurt me, all of the things that had happened to me, not only from Zetsu, the things that had hurt so bad...and I became completely stoic. No emotions showed through, though the pain was unbearable inside. Sure, I smiled, but they were fake smiles. None of them were ever real, and none of them ever would be. I began to wonder what would happen if Amaya, if Kaara, if Yurei, or if Unmei were to know how I was...what would they say? I could think of nothing. I could only think of them and let the hate, the hurt, and the anger build. Of course, I could occasionally take it out on Sakon or against sound waves Tayuya threw at me, or maybe even her Doki, since they never complained, but it never satisfied me. I then began to get the craving for blood, and I didn't know where I could get it. I did not like the taste of my own blood, it was sour and bitter at the same time.

So, I continued, as I was, to be as stoic as I could.

One night, however, I got a strange dream...

_"Nesan! I wanna help!" The ebony-haired two-year-old demanded._

_"No, sister, I'm afraid you can't. Perhaps next time..." The older girl smiled, about fourteen years old. She was beautiful. She had sharp features and deep blue hair that flowed down to her waist. The blue and yellow kimono she wore brought to mind oceans and water-flowers. A smile painted her perfect features. You could tell she obviously wasn't a ninja._

_The small two-year-old was nothing compared to her older sister. Everything about her was small and subtle. She had shoulder-length black hair and dull blue eyes. A brown dress made her look peasant-like when she was close to the older girl. She stood on tiptoes, trying to find out what her sister was doing._

_"Why can't _I _help, Nisei nesan?" She addressed her sister, Nisei, with the title of elder sister._

_"My dear imoto," Nisei addressed the child as her younger sister, "Mother told me I must finish these before the boys get home. It will be like a circus when Niku and Zetsu arrive. You may watch." The younger girl used a stepping stool to sit on the counter beside her sister. She watched as Nisei made dumplings._

I woke up with a start. "Sen? Are you alright?" The serenity that had remained after the dream passed and I was frightened to remember the people I was with. Sakon leaned over me, staring intently into my eyes. "Did you die while you were asleep?"

I pushed him away from myself and sat up. "I'm fine, Sakon. Go to sleep." He mumbled something, but climbed into his own bed. I wondered what that dream meant. I pondered for hours upon end until I suddenly realized what it was.

Before Zetsu killed them, we had _definitely _had an older sister named Nisei. I longed to see her again.

**Regard for Life vs. Disregard for All**

Occasionally, Lord Orochimaru would allow me to go outside of the underground, cave-like thing that was the village. The outside air felt good. Judging by the cool air and brown leaves, I suppose it was Autumn. The entire world was beautiful. In Kusagakure, the only Autumn I had ever experienced was squishy mud beneath my feet and the once green grasses acquiring a brown hue. Winter wasn't much different. I had never felt snow before: I had only seen small pockets of it hanging off the edges of the grass. The grass was too tall for the snow to reach the ground.

I would usually play with animals or insects I found. Sometimes, I would spend so much time outside, Sakon and Ukon, always accompanied by Tayuya or Mailo, would have to come and get me. The only reason that someone else came was they were afraid I would kill them. Once, when they came alone, I found a scorpion, a very small and very poisonous one, and put it on Ukon's head. So, they took precautions.

One day, still in early Autumn I was walking alone, kicking up leaves and collecting earthworms. I had roughly eight in my hands and was bending down to retrieve another. I could feel a change of wind on the purple bow around my waist and knew that there was either A: an entity, or B: a Wind-based chakra source. I dropped the worms, allowing them to wriggle back into the soft dirt, and stood up slowly.

"Dark Style: Seer of Chakra Jutsu..." I whispered, closing my eyes. Behind my eyes lay the same scene, painted in the negative colors. A pale blue human figure lay in front of me. Pale blue meant Wind Chakra. I knew it.

And then...

"Sen imoto! Oh my God, you _are _alive!" Opening my eyes to the sudden sound, I was shocked to see the figure before me. Part of me dreaded seeing her, part of me was overjoyed that she, too, was still alive and that Lord Orochimaru had lied.

Black-and-red haired, Amaya was there. Her face was so relieved, yet she seemed scared of me. My attire, I suppose, was not exactly what she had wanted to see.

"What do you want?" I hissed, unexpectedly.

"I want you to come home! Come on, it'll be all right! Everyone's worried sick! Lee seems almost dead without you!" Amaya smiled invitingly. Stolidness rose inside me.

"I don't _want _to go home."

"But what do you mean?" She laughed uneasily. "You have to come home. Everyone wants to see you."

"_I said, _I don't _want_ to go _home_. I'm_ perfectly_ fine _here."_

_"Here_," she said, providing argumentation, "is not your _home. Here, _in case you don't know, is the Sound Village." I asked her what was wrong with that. After all, what _was _wrong with it? "What's wrong with it? _What's wrong with it!? _What _isn't _wrong with it, Sen?! The Village Hidden in the Sound is the home of the man who betrayed my village, home of the man who tried to have us all killed! Why would you want to stay here? What desire could you possibly have to stay with a murderer? I know you have the Cursed Mark: Kakashi sensei told me! I know Sasuke has it, too, but Sasuke hasn't come here, Sasuke hasn't come to his own Grim Reaper!"

"Lord Orochimaru has not, will not, and _cannot _kill me."

"_Lord? _What's _wrong _with you?"

"Too many things...go home, now. Forget about me. Go about your business as if I were never in Konohagakure. I am dead to them."

"How can I forget you were there when Rock Lee is constantly asking me if I've seen you and he cries every day?!" I shrugged. "_How can you not care?! How can you be so heartless?!" _Amaya sobbed.

"It is simply...who I am. Go, now. Before you die." The threat came so idly, I didn't think I meant it.

"No! I'll bring you home if I have to carry your bones in a bag and resurrect you!"

"Looks like we'll be doing this the hard way, then...Sounds like a fun oppurtunity to hone my skills with _weaker _ninja than the Sound Five..." I felt the satisfying, burning sensation of my Cursed Mark crawling around my neck and it ended with its always-constant curl around the inside part of my left eye. And so we began a hand-to-hand battle. Never once did I draw my kunai. An hour passed and, as we were unprepared to fight, we were both weak.

"I can't...continue like this...Dark Style: Faust's Last Stand Jutsu! Hayate Gekko!" I panted as I waited for the corpse to rise. I could see the fear of resurrecting the dead in Amaya's eyes. She did not believe in life after death, she believed that resurrecting the dead was disrespecting them and their families.

Hayate's corpse rose from the soft ground: perfect for necromancy. Of course, I'm not a necromancer, but this Jutsu was as close as I could get to it. Soon, the decaying cadaver of the proctor stood next me, his eyes as pure white as my skin. Drawing my kunai, I couldn't help but mumble, "You're such a generous person, Hayate...giving your life-fluid to someone you barely know...so kind. However...you were stupid...and smoker's blood is too sweet."

I slit the wrist closest to me and dripped the cold, sweet, red liquid into my mouth. The iron taste was always intensified when the blood was cold. Not to mention, as I said to the cadaver, a smoker's blood was too sweet to completely replenish my strength. But it would have to suffice.

Licking my lips, I let his arm fall back to his side. Blood dripped out of the side of my mouth. Using the 'Tora' hand seal, I dismissed Hayate and let him return to being worm-food. "Now..." My voice became low, as I allowed Tsume's sadistic tone to overtake me, "let's continue, shall we...?"

_You have a problem with each 's' you say, dear. They are too sharp...we must work on that._

Tsume always chose the most intense moments to tell me something random. Perhaps it was to calm me down.

Amaya and I continued our battle. She grew weaker with each hit she threw and, unfortunately, so did I. Somehow, we came to a calm point in the fight. She was some distance away, panting. I dropped to my knees, rocked backwards, fell on my bottom and pulled my knees to my chest. My eyes grew large and I buried my hands in my slightly longer hair. Pain rushed through my entire body and I idly rocked back and forth. Amaya walked towards me, reached her hand out, and was about to touch me.

"Back off!" I hissed, panting. My fang teeth hung in my mouth like two stalactites. She tried to come near me again. I slapped her hand away, leaving scratch marks from my fingernails. "I said, _back off! _You never listen to me. I just want to be powerful...and you're trying to stop me. I'll kill him, I promise, I will. He'll be dead, just you wait. I'll cut him to pieces and I'll watch, laughing, as his soul is sucked, screaming, into his worst hell!" I couldn't help but chuckle. My voice was hoarse, scratchy, and painful to use. "My brother will _die..._and I'll love it! 'Die, die, die!' I'll scream and I'll even given you pictures! Aren't I so kind? Yes, yes...so nice...Just let me go. Let me get stronger. Forget me...I'll learn Jutsu and kill him. I might even kill Lord Orochimaru while I'm at it...Yes...Lord Orochimaru...my brother...Sakon...Kabuto...ohhh, yes...so many deaths...so little time. Who should I kill first, Amaya?" I looked up at her with a thin smile, my eyes wide. Her face showed a horrified expression. "Well? Who, who, who?" I laughed as she shook her head slowly, wordlessly, gaping at me. "You show too much emotion! Let me make it so you'll never make another expression again!" I lunged at her face, suddenly realizing what had happened while I was speaking. I had morphed into my Mature Cursed Mark stage. As I aimed my fingernails at her face, I let flight take control, giving myself more power. Amaya dodged at the last second and my fingernails just barely scraped across her forehead, drawing blood.

I hovered in the air where I landed, wiggling my fingers to keep the feeling in them. The air was growing increasingly cold...or was it just me? If I used my Mature stage for a certain amount of time, I acquired an emaciated appearance. The sudden drop in body size may have made me cold.

"Why...why are you doing this?" Amaya panted, mopping the blood from her forehead.

I looked at her blankly, emotionlessly. "You're in my way."

"Why are you trying to kill me?!"

"Because...you mean nothing any more." I could only think of that answer.

"But what about your other friends!? Don't they mean anything to you!? Aren't they what you live for?! Or do you even have anything to live for?!"

I looked down. Silence tore open a rift between us. Looking up, I grinned. Then, I couldn't help but laugh at her stupid proposal. "Live for? I'm already dead!"

"If you were dead, you wouldn't be standing here! You'd be in the ground!"

"I am not worm food. I am dead, though. The night my brother killed them all...he didn't spare me. He killed my soul. My physical body is here and so is my mentality, but my spirit is somewhere safe. I died when I was three, Amaya, and I live only to destroy him!"

"How could you live only to kill another human being?!"

"You don't get it! My brother is _not _human, nor am I! In Kusagakure, they had called us the 'People of the Earth.' When I was younger...they would call me the 'Girl of the Wolfbane.' I'm sure they had plenty of other nasty names for me..."

"Then come back with me. No one calls you names in Konoha! You're my friend, and if they break your heart by calling you names, I'll break their face by punching it in!"

I chuckled. "Good use of violence, but...what happens when you have no heart to break, no soul to kill, no breath to steal?!"

"Then...then you really are dead." Amaya looked down, seemingly ashamed of herself. Then our battle continued.

Amaya staggered backwards, holding her bleeding shoulder. She had lost so much blood, and it looked oh-so appetizing. One of her eyes was closed, and she didn't appear as though she would stand for much longer. The stone wall behind us was the only thing that supported her.

"You were right, Amaya...Bringing me home may have been the last thing you'll do." I scowled, my skin burning and itching from my Cursed Mark staying active for so long. I didn't dare deactivate it.

Somehow, Amaya smiled, blood trickling out of her mouth and pain etched into her face. "I could have...done better. But you're always...so st-stubborn...I hope you...reach your...your goal..." With that, she slumped against the wall and fell into a sitting position. She uttered no sound and her eyes didn't open.

"Ha! Serves you right. Stay out of my way from now..." My voice trailed off and my slitted eyes grew wide. "What...What did...What did I...? A-Amaya...? W-wake up! I-I didn't mean t-to, I-I'm s-sorry! Pl-please!" I fell into hysterics. "D-Don't die! P-please, Amaya! I-I'm sorry! Please don't leave! I-I need you! S-stay here! I-I'll come home! J-just d-don't die on me, p-please! I-I didn't k-kill you, d-did I? Ohhhh, please! Don't die now!" My breath came now in short outbursts that never satisified my lungs. No response came from my friend. Tears were falling in a maddeningly fast rate. I was too distraught to deactivate my Cursed Mark. I stood there, staring at her seemingly lifeless body, hyperventilating more than I thought possible. Turning my shadow-grey face to the sky and spoke to no one in particular. "Sister...I'm sorry. I think I've...I've failed you...I-I've killed someone close to me...Won't you...won't you forgive me?" I began to sob and my words broke up. "P-please h-help her on her way t-to whatever Heaven sh-she has..."

"My dear imoto, she won't go to Heaven." At the sound of the familiar and kind voice, I spun around. She looked even more beautiful now that she was older than fourteen.

"Nisei...?" I mouthed her name. No sound could pass my lips.

She smiled, an incorporeal glow to her. I could almost see through her. "Yes, my sister. It is I. My, how you've changed...But no, your friend will not go to her Heaven."

"But she deserves the best death there is."

"I did not say death was upon her." My cold heart and a small bit of hope welled in my throat.

"P-Please...t-take care of her, won't you? I d-don't w-want her to get hurt any more."

"She is safe with me. I will let no harm come to her and she will not die any time soon."

I wanted so baldy to hug her, but Tsume reminded me she was incorporeal. "Oh, thank you, thank you. You do not know how much this means."

She smiled. "I know you. You have not failed me. Oh, yes...give my salutations to young Zetsu...tell him Father will meet him in Hell for the things that he's done." With that, the image of my blood sister faded away. I gave Amaya one final glance and began to walk. I discovered I could not deactivate my Cursed Mark from the Mature Stage.

I stumbled almost drunkenly through the forest, tripping over each and every little pebble or twig. Pain welled in my heart. Where would I go? They all knew I was an Akatsuki member, the Akatsuki knew I was a Jinchuuriki, and Tsume hadn't said a word in over an hour! As I walked, I became gradually weaker until finally, I blacked out.

I heard a woman's humming. The area did not feel familiar, even when I opened my eyes. I was lying on a couch, bandages all over my body. All traces from the Seond Stage Cursed Mark were gone. There was a woman sitting near me, her back turned. I attempted to sit up, but pain rushed through my body. I moaned.

The woman turned around suddenly and hushed me. "It's OK...nothing will hurt you now. Can you tell me who you are?"

"Sen..." I moaned, closing my eyes and lying down once more. "Where am I?" I asked suddenly, opening one eye. The woman had pretty, almost hazel eyes. They were green mixed with a dominating amber color. She looked roughly in her late thirties, perhaps very early fourties. She wore a greyish/blue dress and she had dark brown hair tied up in a short ponytail.

She said her name, but I couldn't tell what it was. The only thing I could make out was 'Aburame.' "My son and his Genin Team found you in the Forest of Death, completely knocked out. Their sensei, Kurenai, was unable to treat you and Lady Hokage is gone for a little while, so they brought you to me. How are you feeling?" I could tell this woman was used to talking a lot.

"Numb..."

"That's good! Very good. That means the medicine is working." Mrs. Aburame looked over her shoulder and said, "Shibi, Shino, whoever's closest, could you please bring more of that tea?" Shino...? That sounded relatively familiar, but the numbness was wearing away and the pain began to drum in my veins.

A few moments later, a door behind Mrs. Aburame opened and someone came walking out, holding a steaming teapot. That someone looked incredibly familiar. It was the boy from the Chunin Exams Preliminaries, and it looked as though he remembered me, too. He didn't say anything. Handing the pot to his mother, he was still wordless, although he stared at me.

"Thank you, dear." Mrs. Aburame poured a cup of tea and let it sit out to cool a little more.

"How are you feeling?" I opened an eye. Mrs. Aburame's son was staring at me.

"Shino, dear, don't bother her. She needs her rest."

"No...I don't mind. I suppose I'm fine. I've felt worse before."

"That's nice to hear. Can you sit up?" I nodded and pushed myself up, keeping a straight face as I ignored the pain that surged through me. I reminded myself that getting nailed to the wall hurt much more than that.

"I'll be right back. I need to go to the market. I'm out of this certain ingredient. Shino, watch her and make sure she stays breathing. Sen, you need to drink some tea. Drink it slowly, though. I'll be back soon." Mrs. Aburame left and her son stayed with me. Total silence engulfed the two of us as I sipped the warm tea. It numbed my mouth and throat when I swallowed it.

"You don't remember me, do you?" I swallowed a bit of tea and asked if he'd said anything. "Yes. I asked if you remember me."

"Um...what happens if I say no?"

"I'll reintroduce myself." I said I didn't remember him. "Shino Aburame, heir to the Aburame clan. I helped you with your relationship problems with Sasuke and we fought in the Practice Match in the Chunin Exams Preliminaries."

"You must have this all logged in a book to remember so much."

"No, it just comes naturally. Can you not remember much?"

"I couldn't remember you."

"Good point."

"So you're Shino, right...?"

"The one and the only."

I nodded, stirring the tea solemnly. I recalled what Amaya had said: _"How about Shino? He seems to like you." _At the time, I had no idea who she was talking about, and now I knew. But was she right? No more conversations followed and I fell back asleep.

_Beep, beep, beep..._An electronic noise woke me up. The bleak whiteness of the hospital surrounded me. What had happened to the Aburame's pleasantly dark home? I was in a hospital bed and wearing the blue-ish green pajamas (not the cut open ones that you had to wear like during surgery or childbirth, but actual pajamas), but the beeping noise did come from any machine attatched to me. There was another bed beside me. The black-and-red hair was unmistakable, and the beeping noise told me there was still life.

A blonde-haired woman stood in the room. She had two pigtails and a purple diamond on her forehead. A clipboard and pencil were clutched in her hands. Upon looking up, she saw me.

"Oh, nice to see you're awake. How are you feeling?" Only one thing was on my mind:

"How is Amaya?"

"She's fine. She's recovering well. She was awake a few hours ago. Funny...the only thing she asked was how you were. Are you friends?" I nodded. "Do you know how she got such extreme wounds? They look like they came from a monster..." _They _did _come from a monster, _I thought. I shook my head. I was so pleased to hear that after all the trouble I had caused her and almost ended her life...

Amaya was still alive, and that was all that mattered to me.


	17. Instigation of Hate 17

**Kaara's Curse**

The wind whistled past my ears. The water quivered and the air shook with a lingering coldness among the trees. No bird cawed, no insect buzzed, only the wind. Silence engulfed me every time the wind died down. The entire lake seemed to quiver like some unnatural force lay beneath its dark waters. Fireflies flitted in front of my face, reflecting off the water, and seeming to kiss the midnight sky as they arched upwards.

"Hello, Kaarayomihi. So nice to see you." My voice was soft, and I didn't blink nor turn away from the beautiful lake.

"Thanks, Sen. You just gave me a heart attack. I hate it when you do that."

"My apologies..." I said quietly. I turned my head to look at Kaara. He was standing to the side of me, somewhat behind me. He was looking out at the lake, his arms folded and a cross look on his face. "Why are you here?"

His expression softened and he looked down at me. "The stupid Hokage found out about my curse. They don't want their precious village to burn to smithereens, so now they say I have to wear one of these stupid things each time I leave." He threw something beside me. I picked it up delicately and realized it was a Leaf Village headband. I recalled Kaara telling me about the curse he had. Each time he left a village without something such as a headband or precious scroll, the village would burn within an hour.

Styx purred and rubbed against my leg as Kaara sat down. I idly scratched the cat on his head, his loud purrs breaking the silence and scaring the fireflies. Kaara complained, "I oughta just leave without this thing just to show 'em what they're messing with."

"Please don't." I said. Silence followed. The cold night air silenced even Styx.

"Hey, Sen..." My heart stopped as Kaara began to bring up another subject. "What...well, people have been saying that a rogue ninja attacked Amaya and then you fought the same person, for revenge...What _really _happened?"

I sighed and looked down, shaking my head. "L-Lord Orochimaru...gave me the Cursed Mark and the Sound Ninja Five put it in the Second State...I was...I was careless...I only wanted power, and, still, I do. Amaya got in my way and we fought...I used the Second State and...I...I thought she was dead. So I...left her there...I, too, was wounded, so..." My voice trailed off as I saw Kaara's intrigue of the twisted story. I shook my head once more. "I dare not continue." He nodded.

"Yeah, I understand. I won't ask any more questions." Styx, who had laid down during my short story, rolled over on my bare foot, warmth seeping into my flesh.

Eventually, I mustered up a smile. "Hey, Kaara...since we're both pretty down...I know something that could get both of our spirits up."

He looked at me questioningly. "Oh no...what're you gonna do now, Sen?"

"No, no, really! I just learned this! Watch!" I gingerly picked the small black cat off my foot and placed him by Kaara's side. Dusting myself off, I stood up and stepped backwards a few feet. Kaara looked very unenthusiastic as I did the hand signs. Biting my thumb to draw blood, I pressed my hand on the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"

I heard the poof of smoke and could feel warmth behind me. I knew what Komori was doing: his 'magically magnificent entrance' with the Shin'en. Kaara's unenthusiastic look soon became one of great awe and fear.

"Komori," I said, "Enough with the 'trying to impress my friends' stuff. I...think you've impressed him." I smiled at Kaara, who was still bewildered.

Komori, my large summoning animal (who was a bat), spoke softly. "Oh, but Sen, it's so funny to see your friends' reactions to me!" I shook my head.

"Kaara, meet Komori and the Shin'en. Komori's the really, really big, dark purple bat behind me. The army of little bats are the Shin'en." Kaara stared at the bat. I turned to Komori, and saw nothing in particular different. He had dark purple fur and wings, he had the snubbed nose of a Vampire Bat, and pointed, cat-like ears. Kaara asked me random questions about Komori or the Shin'en while Komori taught the Shin'en flight endurance. The entire night continued like that until the sun rose.

**Good Luck, My Friend**

I could tell how nervous Lee kun was just by speaking with him. He spoke of the possibility of death, which to him didn't seem so bad compared to the fact he may never be a ninja. That was pure torture for the both of us. There was a 49 percent chance he could die, 49 percent chance he may never be a ninja again, and a 2 percent chance he would live and be able to be a ninja.

I wanted to be kind, so I did the only thing I could think of. I went to the Yamanaka Flower Shop and bought a bouquet of pink and yellow roses. Ino was working at the shop that day, and recognized me immediately. I complimented, "This shop has beautiful flowers."

"Thanks. We do our best." Ino indicated the roses in my hands. "Who're those for?"

"Lee kun. He...He's going to get his surgery soon and...I thought I might get him some flowers to cheer him up." Ino smiled and I paid for the flowers.

--

As I walked towards Lee kun, who was standing on a bridge over looking the water, I went to push back some of the hair from my face. My nail hit something and it made me recoil instantly. Then I realized something. It was only the second time in my entire life that the red rose had been in full bloom, but I was happy enough and it was. It looked like I had tucked a red rose behind my ear, but actually, genetically, it grew there. It made sense when you took a moment to realize who my older brother was.

I stood behind him. He knew I was there. "This may be the last time I ever see this again..." The tone of his voice was the deepest shade of melancholy one could even begin to imagine. It made me want to cry, almost causing the fully bloomed rose to wilt. He didn't turn to me. He simply leaned on his crutches and stared into the water.

"Don't talk like that, Lee kun. Your surgery will be successful. I just know it." Silence. "I...I've brought you something." Curious, he turned.

"Oh, thank you, Sen. They are beautif-What is that?" He noticed my red rose.

"A rose. And these are roses, too. I bought them for you." He took them gratefully.

"I never want to see beauty rot, but I do hope I will live long enough to watch these wilt."

"The Hidden Lotus blooms twice."

"Always."

"It will bloom again, for you."

"It has already bloomed twice for me. It will not bloom again."

"Yes it will. It will always bloom twice, even if the fifth bloom must be the first, but the Hidden Lotus never ceases to bloom."

"You are too kind."

"There is no such thing."

"As too kind?"

"One can never be too kind."

"They say to keep your friends close..."

"And your enemies closer. Yes, I know. And if I have already done so, Lee kun, then you must be my worst enemy."

"Thank you."

"I am here for you."

"I..." Lee kun glanced out to the water. "I wish I had something else to say."

"Sometimes, the best thing to say is nothing."

"Why must you always speak in riddles?"

"To keep the heart guessing." He smiled. I sighed. "Lee kun...this was considered a wish of good luck. Whenever a Shinobi went to war, his wife would do this, to ensure he came home. And right now...you need all the luck in the world."

"What-" I stopped his question as I kissed him on the cheek. He blushed a bright pink.

"I'll be there the day of the surgery. Keep your faith and hope in those flowers and they'll never wilt."

With that, I walked away from him, hoping with all my heart that he would make it through this all right.

--

I sat outside Lee kun's hospital room, twiddling my fingers and watching the tears stream off of both mine and my sensei's faces. Guy sensei sat across from me, just as distraught as I was. Hope, fear, and melancholy welled in both our hearts. Silence made it harder to bear.

The opening of a door startled us. Lady Tsunade strode out, removing her gloves. I dreaded the words she would say, yet I anticipated her saying that it was unsuccessful. Her tone always was dark and melancholy, so her expression was indistinguishable.

"Sen, Might Guy...Rock Lee's surgery was, surprisingly...successful." Guy sensei and I each breathed a sigh of relief. All my dread, fear, anxieties, and longing drained away, only to be renewed with happiness and joy. The red rose even bloomed.

Lee kun could be a Ninja once more.

**Fear**

"Sen, I'm glad you and Zetsu could return to us, however briefly." Pein smiled faintly. It always scared me when Leader smiled, but I got used to it. "But...I'm afraid I'll be needing to send you, the both of you plus Kaarayomihi, on a mission. It's a simple one..." He gave me the gist of the mission, and it was indeed and easy one. One of the easiest I'd been sent on since I joined the Akatsuki: Hunt down the targeted man, kill him, dispose of the body (which wouldn't be a problem, seeing as my brother and I were going), and return. The harder part of the mission: telling Oniisan that he and I would not only be going on a mission together, but with Kaara, whom he thought was a pest.

--

I stood over the body of the dead man. Kaara and Zetsu stood behind me. They didn't have to do a thing. It was easy to kill him, as he was not a ninja. I couldn't resist the blood. When I was done, it looked as though I had bright red gloves, and it painted over my bandages. There was also plenty of blood spattered across my Akatsuki cloak. Then, as I licked the blood off of my fingers, I heard something familiar.

"Hey, Kaarayomihi, you wanna know why the Akatsuki wear long sleeves and high collars...?" I heard Zetsu speaking, the black half of him. He was pulling a prank on poor Kaara. One of his worst fears (other than dolls and needles-or my fingernails) was having his blood drained.

"W-why?" He whispered back to my brother.

"It's because of Kaede and Sen...they're vampires. Keep your neck and wrists hidden when she's like this. Or else...she might slit them and drink your blood." Silence penetrated the air. I wanted so badly to turn around, ask Zetsu to leave Kaara alone, but I had no right to argue.

--

Hours later, we were back in the Akatsuki lair. I was busy working on a scroll in the living room when I heard a choking noise. I first looked towards Kaede, who shrugged and started to look around the room, too. Then, I looked to Kaara and recognized our problem.

"Crap..." He wheezed. "I can't...get it off..." He was digging at his throat. I noticed that he had tied his Akatsuki cloak to his throat and wrists with some kind of twine. I immediately stood up and tried to help. Yurei began to laugh. "Sen! What're...what're you doing...?" He tried to push me away.

"No, no! Kaara, let me help! I can get it!" I protested.

"No! You'll drink my blood!" Kaara protested in return.

"I'm not like that right now!"

"I don't care! You could be lying!"

"I'm _not _lying! I'll get hit for that! Now just let me-" He slapped my hand away as I tried to untie the twine.

"Damn it, get away! I'd rather choke to death than have my blood sucked dry!"

"I won't hurt you!"

"Oh, of course you won't! You'll just kill me really fast, _then _drink my blood!"

"No I won't!"

"Help! Help! Murder! _Murder!"_ He began to shout.

Kaede scoffed as she tried to catch her breath. She had been laughing the entire time. "Good luck getting help _here _by screaming _murder. _Newsflash: You're _surrounded _by murderers."

His mouth turned into a thin line. "Fine...Vampire! Someone help me! She's going to kill me and drink my blood!"

"Oh, Kaara, I'm so sorry, but..." I slapped him in the face. "Get a hold of yourself! I'm not going to kill you! Now, _calm down! _Let me help you."

Kaara squinted his eyes, as if preparing to die, and let me help. I took out a shuriken. He opened one eye and tried to push me away. I simply grabbed the twine, which made it so he couldn't move. I sliced the twine and let it fall to the ground. Immediatly, his hands flew to his neck and he began to cough. I then grabbed one of his arms and tried to be gentle. He opened his mouth to say something, but I tightened my grip on his arm, digging my fingernails through his Akatsuki cloak and down to his flesh. He winced. "Don't you _dare _call for help, Kaarayomihi Netzu," I threatened him. Then, I cut the twine on both of his wrists. I put the shuriken away and let him go. He ran straight to his room.

I sighed and sat down on the ground to continue working on my scroll. Kaede had laughed so much, she had fallen out of her chair and was crying. I shook my head and leaned over my scroll.

"_Senari._" The demanding voice made me look straight up and forced even Kaede to quiet her laughter. "_What _was Kaarayomihi screaming 'murder' and 'vampire' for?"

I bowed while I was on my knees, in an almost deifying way. Kaede motioned silently, saying that it made her sick. I shook my head. "It was nothing, Brother."

Zetsu's eyes narrowed. "_I asked you, _what was Kaarayomihi screaming for?"

If my face wasn't so pale, I'm certain it would have just been extinct of all color. "H-He had tied t-twine around his neck and wr-wrists and we were t-talking b-because he wouldn't let me h-help him..." Zetsu made no reply, no movement. He didn't even blink. I curled in on myself suddenly, covering my head with my hands, my forehead touching the ground. "I'm sorry, Brother!" Zetsu didn't hit as hard as he normally did, but it still hurt. He hit me in the head, anger behind his blow.

"Damn it, girl, I've told you a thousand times! Just because Kaarayomihi is supposed to be your mission partner does _not _mean that you are friends, nor does it mean you should have sympathy for him! You know what happens when you make friends, don't you? Or do I have to demonstrate it again?"

"N-no! Please, Brother! I beg of you!" I didn't want to see a friend die once more.

Kaede sighed. "Oh, grow up, Zetsu, leave her alone. She's just lonely and wants a friend, that's all. Let her be."

"Fine. I allow you two, and **only **_two, _friends: Kaede and Kaarayomihi. Any more or anyone else, you know what happens. As for you, Kaede..." He turned to her. "I have grown up, thank you. At least I'm not a sniveling rodent like her." He motioned to me then said, "Go. Work in your room or the library, but stay out of my sight." I picked up my scroll and went quickly into my own room, rushing past my brother.

Well, as far as _he _knew, I went to my room. I actually went to my experiment room. I wanted to check on those butterflies. Nothing had happened, but I sat beside their cage in the small, dark room, watching them flit from flower to flower. Peace was something amazingly new to me.

**Forgive And Forget**

"Sen, I understand how hard you must have worked to get to the Chunin Exams. I also understand that disqualification due to intentioned use of a Forbidden Jutsu should not have been allowed. But...I find it time." Pein smiled at me, his hands folded on his desk.

I looked up suddenly. "T-time for what, Leader?"

He smiled again. "Time for you to be counted as the official 'Rat of the Akatsuki.' I told you, if you were to give a reasonable display at the Chunin Exams, I would allow you true membership into the Akatsuki. Congratulations." He stood up and held his fist out. "Here's your ring." I cupped my hands beneath his, like a child begging for food, and watched the glittering ring drop into my hands. It was indeed the same one he had showed me before: A sparkling silver ring with a purplish blue gem and 'moonlight' inscribed into it. He told me there would be an Akatsuki cloak, a hat, and a small vial of nail-paint waiting outside my bedroom and dismissed me. I slipped the ring onto my left middle finger and rushed to my room. Instead of those three things there, Konan stood in front of the door, holding them. She smiled kindly and I bowed.

"Congratulations, Sen. Pein told me you're becoming an official Akatsuki member. Let me see your ring." I held my hand out, so she could see my ring. "Oh, how nice. That is quite fitting for you, 'moonlight.'" Konan handed me my things and then hugged me. Konan was like an older sister to me, always kind and looking to help me. She then said she had to return to some duties and bid me farewell. I went into my room and then, only then, did the realization finally hit me:

I was now an official Akatsuki member!

--

I was in the small apartment in Konohagakure, and I was totally alone. There was a mirror directly across from the door in the small room. Beneath that was a sink and some small drawers used for holding toiletries. To the right of the mirror was a door that led to a small bathroom. Roughly three feet in front of the mirror, pushed against the wall, was a dresser almost as tall as I was. In front of that there was a small desk with a computer that constantly buzzed loudly and clicked randomly. The only thing it was good for was to type documents, and even then, there was an 80 percent chance it wouldn't save it right. The rest of the room was occupied by a large bed (I suppose it was normal sized, but it was larger than the beds I had in either of the Akatsuki lairs.), a very small area in which to cook, and a table with two chairs. On the table and desk, I had a few leaning piles of scrolls. My hat was in the dresser and my nail-paint was in one of the toiletry drawers. I had already painted my nails. The color was slightly hard to tell. It was an incredibly dark purple, and it looked black. But if seen in the right light, it could be perceived as dark purple. Indulging in the pride I knew I should not have, I looked in the mirror, holding the Akatsuki cloak up to myself to see what I might look like when I put it on. My ring sparkled on my finger. _I wonder if Leader might let me-_

_BAM!_

I spun around suddenly, holding the Akatsuki cloak behind me, folded in on itself. "Sen? Hello...? Zaku says-" Amaya noticed that I had something behind my back. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." I smiled one of the fake smiles I had used in Otogakure.

"You're hiding something..." Amaya walked towards me, closing the door behind herself.

"I'm not hiding anything."

"Then what's behind your back?"

"Nothing." I said, as I slid my ring off my finger and placed it neatly in one of the toiletry drawers. The drawer made a louder noise than I had hoped for, and Amaya heard it.

"Now you just put something in the drawer." She walked closer.

"No I didn't. The only thing in the drawer is my toothbrush, some toothpaste, and my hairbrush."

"Then turn around."

"Why?"

"You have something behind your back."

"There's nothing.

"There's _something _or else you wouldn't be so defensive."

"I'm not defensive."

"Now you're _denying _me. You _must _have something behind your back."

We circled around on another. She tried to find out what it was I was hiding behind my back and I tried to conceal it. Then, we ended up back in our original positions. Amaya seemed to give up and was about to say something. I relaxed too soon and the cloak was in her hands before i knew it. She inspected it before gasping and throwing it at me. It landed on my head and I pulled it back slightly.

Amaya had one hand over her mouth and the other was pointing at me. She was backing away slowly, stumbling as she went. "Y...you...how _could _you...? Y-you're an...an...Ak-Aka...Akatsu...Akatsuki...Akatsuki m-member. A-All along you've...you've been...th-the enemy..." Then, she ran to the door, swung it open and closed it with a slam behind herself.

_I should have left it in the Akatsuki lair..._Guilt swept over me.

_No, no, my dear. Please don't cry. It was for the better, I'm sure. _

_Th-thank you, Tsume. You are ever-so kind._

A few days later, Amaya approached me, told me she had said nothing of my being an Akatsuki member, and that she could accept it.

**Two Stupid Boys**

"Sen, I have a question." I turned to Naruto. For once, his voice was calm.

Guy sensei and the rest of my team had been sent on a mission I couldn't go on because I wasn't one hundred percent a Leaf Shinobi. So I didn't fall behind on my training, Guy sensei gave me an assignment and let me train with Team Seven. My assignment was simpler than the training exercises he had Lee kun and I do when we were training together. All I had to do was walk three-hundred laps around the village on my hands. Simple enough (by the way, that's not sarcasm).

I was taking a half-way break. "Well, Naruto, what is it? Do you want to train with me?" His face turned white and his eyes grew large.

"T-train...the way you do!? No way!" Then he calmed down. "Actually, my question is..." He seemed very serious. His eyes were closed and a puzzled look spread across his face. "Why do you always wear bandage-gloves?"

I thought I could have hit him right then and there.

He opened his eyes to see my disappointed expression. I had hoped he was going to ask an intelligent question, something I could answer without feeling stupid. "Well...why? Why do you wear those gloves, Sen? I mean, like...what's underneath 'em that you have to hide?"

"Who's saying I have to hide anything?"

"Well...I dunno. You never know when someone might have like...a disfiguration or something."

I held my arms out in front of him, clad in bandages. "Do you _see _any mutation in my arms, Naruto?"

"Uh...um...well...no, but I...Why don't you just take off the gloves?"

"_What!? _Are you _kidding _me!? Why would I take my gloves off!?"

Naruto grinned. "I don't know. Maybe 'cause your best friend wants to see what's underneath 'em."

"You are _not _my best friend!"

"Aw, Sen! How could you say that?"

"Oh, Naruto! I'm gonna kill you!"

Naruto grinned once more and lunged at my arms. When I realized what he was trying to do, I fought back. Soon, we were fighting tooth and nail - literally. I kept trying to push him away, and he kept trying to get my gloves off my arms. Then, a voice made us freeze in the middle of the battle.

"What _are _you two losers doing...?" I craned my neck behind me to see who it was. Sasuke. Naruto was trying to pull off one of my gloves with his teeth; my other hand was splayed over his face, pushing him away; one of his hands was on my arm, trying to push it off his face; and his other hand was trying to pull off the glove. We were frozen like that. _Very _awkward situation. Quickly, Naruto and I pushed away from one another and grinned pleasantly.

I pointed to Naruto and said, "He started it!"

In unison with what I had said, Naruto shouted, "She started it!"

Then, once more in unison, we both pointed at one another and said, "Nuh-uh! You started it!" We turned away from one another, arms crossed, pouting.

Sasuke sighed. "Alright, what's the argument now?" With no order whatsoever, Naruto and I both began to shout our sides of the story. Sasuke told us that we should speak one at a time. He let me speak first. After Naruto had had his turn, Sasuke sighed once more. "Well, I hate to say it Sen, but Naruto...does have a point. Why _do _you wear those gloves all the time?"

I was shocked to say the least. "Sasuke! How could you?" With that, I was bombarded by both boys, each trying to remove my gloves and shouting why they thought I wore them. It was a frenzy of black, blue, orange, and red. The red: We were once again, quite literally, fighting tooth and nail and, as you should already know, my teeth and nails are incredibly sharp. Nonetheless, the boys continued to fight me. Sakura, Kaara, and Kakashi sensei were staring in awe. Moreover, Kaara was yelling..._strange..._things at Naruto and Sasuke. Albeit I had no clue what the words were or what they meant, I knew they were not intentioned to be in my favor. He was cheering Sasuke and Naruto on! How dare he!

"Kaarayomihi Netzu! You're dead!" I shouted as I pushed and shoved and scratched and clawed at the boys.

"Enough, you guys. You're as bad as you were with trying to get my mask." At the apparent lack of attention, Kakashi sensei disappeared. Like the boys, that wasn't the first thing on my mind but, _un_like the boys, it did help me. "I said, enough." I heard two _thud_s as Naruto and Sasuke hit the ground. Kakashi sensei stood in front of me, reading his book. I was completely untouched, although the boys were down on the ground. Kakashi sensei craned his neck slightly, so he was somewhat looking at me. He smiled in the strange way he did, through his mask. "It's OK. I understand. They just need to leave you alone. If you need help, just say it." I nodded and he turned back to the two boys. "Now, if you two are done bugging her, who's ready for lunch?" And with that, as a treat, we went to Ichiraku. It was the first time I'd ever eaten there, and I must say, it's quite a nice little place with good food. I contemplated over whether or not I should propose to the Raimeikage that we should see if Kusagakure might get an Ichiraku Ramen. People would be very pleased. The entire time we ate, I tried my best to keep my hands beneath the table and out of Naruto or Sasuke's reach. Kakashi sensei sat between the two boys and I, and I sat by the wall.

**Shichi**

"Sen, I must go to the Tanzaku Town Market. Would you like to go with me?" Lee kun offered. I smiled.

"Sure. I don't see why not." Lee kun smiled and I stood up. I had been relaxing after training.

So, Lee kun and I went to the Tanzaku Town Market together. I took my money I had earned from missions. I didn't know if I would buy anything, but I took it just in case.

After Lee kun had finished his errands, we walked around for a while. We ran into a stand full of exotic pets. I love animals, so I wanted to look. There were birds that mimicked your every word or move, fish that would bite anything that came near them, and even Bikochu ready to lay their eggs. Those were expensive. None of them appealed to me. But then, I noticed a cart covered with a canvas. A pitiful 'shiiiii' noise came from beneath the canvas. It was in an almost infantile voice. With mine and Tsume's curiosity getting the better of me, I looked underneath the canvas.

There was a small metal cage underneath. A white blob lay pitifully splayed inside the cage. No, not a blob. It was a strange creature. It had a puff for a tail; ears as long as its entire body, if not longer; sharp front and back claws; bright red eyes; and an adorably pathetic mewing sound that sounded as if it were saying 'shi' instead of 'meow' or 'woof' or something like that.

"Ohhh, Lee kun, look! Isn't she so cute?" I put my fingers up to the cage and the small white creature licked my fingers happily. Lee kun peeked underneath the canvas.

"Oh, my! She is as cute as a baby! I wonder how much she costs?"

"Hn...there's no price anywhere on the cage. I wonder if-"

"Hey! You kids! Get away from that thing!" I stood up, dropping the canvas over the cage once more. A large man stood there. He looked strong, but pudgy. He wore a simple brown outfit.

"Um, excuse me, sir, but how much does this little creature cost?" I asked politely, pointing to the lump underneath the canvas.

"It's not for sale. You shouldn't have seen that thing anyways. It's dangerous."

"Well...can't I just take it, then?"

"No. I've been given strict orders to have it put down."

"No! Don't do that! Why do you have to put it down?"

"Like I said, kid, it's _dangerous. _It clawed the faces of seven different people off in one day. It's called Shichi because of that."

"Shichi? Well...I'm a ninja. I want a Ninja Animal to help! Can I have it?"

"No."

"Ohhh, please!? I'll pay twice the original price!"

He contemplated. "You're a ninja, you said? Hm...Listen, kid, I'm an avaricious man, but I want to keep my job so...I'll let you have it on a few conditions...You have to come up with a way to make my boss think I got it put down without making me look like a fool _plus _you have to pay double the original price."

"Done! How much was the original price?"

"3,000 ryo."

"6,000 ryo? I can do that." I paid the man out of my panda-shaped wallet and knew immediately what I was going to do. I lifted the canvas and plucked a small piece of grass from the trampled ground below me. The Jutsu I was going to use was something taught only in Kusagakure. I placed the blade of grass in the cage beside Shichi and did a few handsigns. "Shadow Style: Grass Clone Jutsu!" An exact replica of Shichi appeared beside her, where the grass had been. I opened the cage and pulled the original Shichi out. She was like a cat almost, but different. Lee kun and I walked with Shichi, all the while she had a happy face and was making a high pitched purring noise. At one point, she bit Lee kun's finger, drawing blood. "Oh, Lee kun, are you OK?"

He smiled. "Yes. One cannot stay mad at something so cute!" We both laughed.


	18. Instigation of Hate 18 Sasuke Retrieval

**The Same Mistake I Made**

_Rap, rap, rap!_

I rubbed sleep from my eyes. Shichi sat at the foot of my bed, curled up against Torayuki, who moaned and grumbled. I smoothed down my hair to look at least half-decent for whomever was there.

_Rap, rap, rap!_

Came the impatient three knocks once more. "Oh, calm down! I'm coming!" I said, really, to no one in particular. I swung my legs out of the bed, the covers landing on Shichi's head. She peeked curiously out from underneath the blankets. I opened the door. Shikamaru stared at me. "Shikamaru san?" I asked, surprised he was up this early. "What is it?"

"Sen, hurry up and get dressed. I need you to come on an important mission with me and a few others." I nodded and closed the door. Quickly, I changed from my pale green pajamas into my normal outfit. I brushed out my hair and made sure everything was done quickly. A meal could wait until later. Shichi cried out, but I hushed her softly.

"Shichi, you have to stay here. This may end up dangerous." She covered her face with her claw-tipped paws. I closed the door behind myself and, as we ran, I asked Shikamaru, "So, what's this big mission all about?"

"This mission has been ordered by the Fifth Hokage herself. Our job is to retrieve Sasuke."

"Retrieve him? Where did he go?"

"To Orochimaru." I lost my breath and felt like I would fall. Changing the subject, Shikamaru told me, "I planned on having Shino or Lee come, but Shino's on a misison with his father and Lee's recuperating. My only choices were you, Naruto, Kiba, Neji, and it wouldn't be a good mission without Choji." I smiled faintly. I was going on a retrieval mission with two of my closest friends to retrieve my ex-boyfriend because he made the same mistake I had by going to an evil, sadistic man? How wonderfully complex.

We acquired the other four boys, having a slight malfuction when we had to get Choji. Right outside the village walls, Naruto had a heartwarming speech with Sakura. It reminded me of the way I spoke to Lee kun, to be honest. Then, Shikamaru told us our positions. I was behind Naruto, and I was supposed to keep a small bit of dirt in my hand for fast vine-raising.

--

My heart stopped, almost literally. I saw five faces I had never wanted to see, nor thought I would, again:

Sakon.

Ukon.

Tayuya.

Jirobo.

Kidomaru.

I recognized them on the spot, and they recognized me, too. Sakon's blue lips curled around his teeth in a smile-like snarl. I couldn't feel my own heart beating. Eventually, Jirobo caught us in an earthy dome whilst the others fled, an all-too-familiar barrel-thing in tow. I heard him laughing.

"Shikamaru," I whispered, pulling him close so I wouldn't have to speak loudly, "Jirobo specializes in Earth Style Jutsu. If we can counter that with-" The wind was knocked out of me as I was pushed to the ground. Shikamaru stared at me, shocked. I heard Jirobo laugh once more.

"Shut up, Sen! You should have stayed with us!" I had earthen dust on the front of my shirt where the stone had hit me. I brushed the dirt off and sat up, trying to catch my breath. Everyoe began trying different strategies.

I fed my chakra into the ground. I watched in horror as the dry earth sucked up my chakra without a single change. Finally, I saw something small and green begin to push itself out of the ground. I fed my chakra faster and faster. The only thing I could get was a pitiful excuse for a leaf bud. I leaned against the wall and then pulled away instantly.

"Neji," I said quietly. He turned and looked at me. I pointed to my own eyes, then to the wall. He nodded, understanding. He used his Byakugan and instantly made the connection.

"If I promise to go home and never come back, will you let me go?" Shikamaru said, standing in the direct center.

"Heh. Hardly. You're all gonna die."

"I'll leave them here. Just let _me _go." Shikamaru looked about.

"Nope. I wanna see you all die."

"Shikamaru! How dare you sell-" Naruto was enraged, but I silenced him by slapping him. He rubbed the side of his face and I put one finger to my own lips. Thankfully, everyone understood the plan Shikamaru and I had almost telepathically made. Kiba and Akamaru began to drill against the wall, where the chakra was weakest. Before I knew it, we were out and fresh air poured into my lungs. Jirobo was shocked, quite frankly.

His eyes narrowed. "Well, if I can't kill you all...why not just one of you? How about you, Sen? No one was happy when you left. 'Specially not Lord Orochimaru or Sakon." I gritted my teeth.

"Shut up, Jirobo! I never wanted to stay! Lord Orochimaru lied to me and Sakon's a pervert! You couldn't kill me if you tried! You couldn't even counter my Jutsu!"

"Sen," Neji said, looking at me, "Don't instigate him. From what I've gathered, he's relatively bull-headed...We need to-"

Choji announced, "I'll stay and fight. You guys go on ahead and catch up with Sasuke."

Shikamaru and I acquired the same expression. "Choji...are you sure?" Shikamaru's face turned the same color mine was.

He grinned. "Of course! This guy'll be a piece of cake! I'll be done with him and caught up with you guys in no time!"

"Ch...Choji, you...you don't have to do this. We can all fight together." I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Choji nodded. I swallowed back uncertainty. "Alright. Shikamaru, we should go ahead while they're still close."

He nodded. "You're right. Let's go."

I said a few last words to Choji. "Be careful, OK? And hurry as soon as you're done. We'll all be waiting for you." Then I whispered in his ear, "Jirobo's not the strongest, but he's not exactly weak, either. Be on your guard..." With that, I continued with the rest of my team. We carved arrows into trees and wrote little messages for Choji to followed. I wrote a message, too, and signed my name.

After a while, the boys began to talk about how we hadn't encountered a single trap and how insulting it was to be so underestimated. Shikamaru then went ahead, using the Transformation Jutsu of Jirobo. Kidomaru caught him, and trapped him against a tree. Naruto tried to ambush him with Shadow Clones, but he, too, was trapped. Kiba and Akamaru used Fang Over Fang whilst Kidomaru was falling, but he pulled himself back up with spiderweb. He trapped them with more spiderweb, but they were trapped standing up. Neji attacked silently from above, and I was sure he would get a hit. Kidomaru knew he was coming and dodged him. then, he threw the biggest web at Neji. Now it was my turn. I had the same ability as my brother (molding into the ground and trees and things) and I must say, it was quite uncomfortable standing so stationary inside the tree beside Kidomaru. I separated myself from the tree and threw a hit. Kidomaru caught my fist and we attempted a battle. Unfortunately, he used spiderweb on me, and I was stuck to the tree I had molded into. He seemed disappointed. "Oh, come on, Sen. You were harder to beat when you were with us. You've slacked off on your Cursed Mark Training. If I take you back, though, Lord Orochimaru will be happy you can continue your training. Be like us, don't be afraid to use your Cursed Mark! Lord Orochimaru said you had one of the best and he saw promise in you! Come back with us." I, literally, spat at him. He stepped backwards and said, "Mine's more dangerous." I made a face at him. Akamaru returned to normal and whined, knowing he could do nothing to help us. Kidomaru wrapped Neji in a coccoon, Naruto tried to cut through the spiderweb, and then Kidomaru began to boast about the strength of the web. Then, he used the yellow thread. I always hated that stuff. It really was lethal. Shikamaru seemed to notice it, too. Kidomaru had to play one of the 'battle games' he so loved to do. His game was trying to figure out which clone was the real Naruto. He began to rant and rave about Naruto's luck, because each time he tried ot hit Naruto, he hit a clone. Only two remained. My heart beat increasingly fast. I felt a slicing in the webs and then fell to the branch. I realized how enchanted I had been watching the almost aerial battle. Neji signalled for me to be silent. Then, Kidomaru threw the little weapons at both of the Naruto's and neither of them were real! Then, the, hopefully, real Naruto attacked from above, and Kidomaru reacted just in time. He used the web to dodge Naruto. Kidomaru had the thread attatched to Naruto's wrist and, right when he went to pull Naruto from where he was, Neji attacked. He saved Naruto and, strangely, thanked him for stalling. I stood with my team, all of us free from the webs. Neji explained how he had gotten past the webs thanks to his Byakugan. Then, Neji told us he could handle Kidomaru. Akamaru whined and went to Kiba. We discussed how smart this idea was. Neji made an important point that nobody could argue with. Then, Neji turned to Naruto.

"Naruto..." He smiled, closing his eyes. "Sometimes your eyes are even better than mine..." No one spoke. "Wherever he is...Sasuke is in the darkness." He told us to go. Everyone agreed. The three boys took off. "Well, Sen? Go."

"Neji...be careful. Remember, Unmei's still back in Konoha, waiting for you..." I had to mention Unmei, his girlfriend. He blushed. "And hey," I smiled, "You wanna see Lee kun when he's all better, right? So do your best and don't get yourself killed!"

He smiled. "Right. You'd better go, before they get too far ahead." I nodded and followed Naruto, Kiba, and Shikamaru.

Kiba and Naruto had positive moods due to lack of...well, lack of _knowledge, _to be honest, but Shikamaru and I knew the reality of things.

The sun was beginning to set when Kiba announced that we were getting close. Shikamaru pointed out that there were four (five, counting Akamaru) of us, yet only two of them. _No, Shikamaru...there's...they have four...they have four. _I didn't voice what I was going to say. I don't know why...I just didn't. Maybe it was the Akatsuki part inside me that took joy in watching people suffer. That is not who I am, and I promised not to subject myself to that. But it was impossible.

We picked up our pace, jumping faster. Shikamaru said we couldn't attack until sunrise, but Naruto protested. Shikamaru explained in a way that Kiba and Naruto understood, I think. The boys then debated over many topics relative to the battle. We spent the night chasing after Sakon, Ukon, and Tayuya. We hardly rested at all. Kiba kept asking me if I was OK. I guess he thought that, since I was a girl, I might not be able to endure as much as they did. _Naruto_ complained more than me.

They stopped, and so did we. We stood together, in an unorderly display. Tayuya complained about Jirobo and Kidomaru not being there. Sakon smiled the same smile that had often made me run when I was in Oto. There was no running now. Sakon lunged at us, boasting. Then, he disappeared, reappeared behind me, disappeared again _with _me, and then we both reappeared a few branches away. Sakon had one arm around my waist and arms, holding me tightly and the other was clutching a kunai to my throat.

"Well, well, Sen...long time no see. How've you been? Meet anyone new...? Anyone who treats you the way I do?"

"Sakon..." I said, craning my neck away from the kunai and almost over his shoulder, "I'll never, ever meet someone who treats me the way you do. You're insane. I never _want _to meet someone else like you."

"Ohhhh, now you don't really mean that, do you?" He said in a sickeningly sweet voice, almost in a purring tone.

"I mean it. I mean it with everything in the world."

"Tsk, tsk. Well...I'm not usually the jealous type, but...I suppose that if I can't have you, no one will, now will they?"

"Get away from me!" I struggled. I wanted so badly to reach for my kunai, but Sakon got it before I did and threw it into a tree near Shikamaru's head. I saw no way out on my own, so I resorted to the only thing I could think of: play 'damsel in distress.' "Shikamaru, Kiba, Naruto, please! Help me!" I glanced at Tayuya, she frowned, and shook her head. I felt Sakon draw the kunai away and the swoosh of air as he brought it up high in the air. Suddenly, one of the boys threw a shuriken right as he brought down the kunai. The smaller weapon bounced off the kunai and messed up the aiming. Instead of going through my neck (ironically, the kunai had been aimed at my Cursed Mark), it hit my shoulder and stuck there. As with any human, I couldn't help but cry out (albeit quieter than most). Shocked, Sakon let go of me and I returned to my team. No one asked of my state, and I didn't want them to. Sakon lunged once more. Kiba and Shikamaru lunged, too, but they were hit with 'Fists Barrage.' Naruto began the Rasengan. Unfortunately, Sakon caught his arm and commented rudely about the style of Rasengan. I, for one, thought it was an interestingly hard Jutsu. Kiba used Tunneling Fang and Sakon dodged it. He turned to me.

"I'll return to you when I'm done with them. Stay here..." With that, he went after Kiba. Shikamaru caught Tayuya with Shadow Possession Jutsu. I was left alone, holding my left shoulder with the kunai still sticking out between my fingers. Kiba snatched Sasuke's barrel and tossed it to Naruto while Sakon and Tayuya ran into one another. Then, as planned, we began to leave. I didn't plan on staying to let Sakon kill me or otherwise. I followed the boys. Sakon got closer to us very quickly. Akamaru placed paper bombs, just as planned. Sakon landed right beside one, and it blew up.

The trees caught fire and Akamaru returned to the four of us. Unofrtunately, however, Sakon recovered _very _quickly. Akamaru tripped as he returned to us, and Sakon trapped him with ninja wire. I promised myself I would definitely land a blow for him doing that. As the bomb began to burn, Kiba went to save him. Sakon was going after him, too. Kiba reached Akamaru right when the paper bomb went off. Sakon was caught in the midst. My stomach turned as Naruto, Shikamaru, and I were left watching the bomb. I knew I had failed. I was supposed to never let Kiba die, and here, I had simply let him be blown up. Black clouds of smoke engulfed our vision, and no answer returned our shouts. There was no sign of Sakon, Ukon, Kiba, nor poor little Akamaru. Tayuya lunged at us.

"There's no other way," Shikamaru said, "I'll take care of this one. You two go on ahead." Naruto protested. "Just go!" Shikamaru was agitated. Suddenly, Tayuya stopped.

And so came Kimimaro.

At first, I was slightly happy to see him and I wanted to ask him how Mailo was. Then, I remembered: I was a Leaf and Grass Shinobi, no longer a Sound and I was on a mission. I was suppsed to have forgotten about Kimimaro, and the rest of them, really.

Kimimaro attacked us from behind, snatching away Sasuke's coffin. Shikamaru made a statement, apologizing to Naruto and I that he had miscalculated.

"We all did, Shikamaru. Not to mention, we didn't expect Kiba and Akamaru to go missing." Really, I _didn't_ expect Kimimaro to show up. I knew he was sick, so I didn't think he would be going.

Tayuya and Kimimaro conversed and Naruto scowled at the mention of Lord Orochimaru. Shikamaru seemed deep in thought when Naruto stood up and yelled at Kimimaro. Kimimaro looked towards me, seeming to remember who I was, then returned his hateful gaze to Naruto. As loyal as he was to his master, I'm certain he hated me now. He thought of me as a traitor. We had once been friends, but at that point, there was no mutual friendship, only one-way hate. I wondered what Mailo might think of that.

Naruto jumped to get Sasuke's coffin, Tayuya following him. She attacked, forcing him to return to us. Tayuya and Kimimaro conversed silently once more. Naruto began to get upset that Kimimaro was taking Sasuke's coffin.

Tayuya took out her flute, although I was the only one who knew what it was. "Please, don't summon the Doki..." I said quietly. Shikamaru and Naruto looked at me. They had honestly known nothing of my going to Lord Orochimaru, until we began this mission. Once everyone had been gathered for the mission...I felt it my duty to tell them ahead of time.

Shikamaru told us his plan, saying that we must follow it to the smallest detail. Tayuya couldn't hear a word.

Shikamaru said out loud so that she could hear, "It's three versus one. I say if we gang up on her, she'll go down in a flash. Naruto, Sen, you up for it?"

"Yeah!" Naruto said energetically. I smiled sweetly. Tayuya must have thought we were a bunch of dummies. Trash talk was exchanged before we all lunged at one another. Shikamaru caught her flute with a kunai, Naruto and I pretended we were going to hit her, but instead, we went straight over her head. Naruto and I landed a few branches away. He began to taught her, and I hit him in the head.

"Let's go, before she knows what just happened!" I whispered. He nodded. We went, jumping through the trees as fast as we could. He looked back several times, as if thinking about something. Then, I noticed something. He began to gain a red aura, his teeth and nails became sharper, and his eyes turned red. I smiled. "So...I'm not the only one." He looked at me, confused. The same thing happened to me, except my aura was purple and my eyes turned chartreuese, the color of Tsume's. She was delighted.

_This is him! _She exclaimed mentally. _This is _Kyuubi! _The famed, legendary, strong Kyuubi!_

_Kyuubi? What's so special about him?_

_Special? Everything! Kyuubi is the Nine-Tailed Fox! He's as old as me, he's the strongest, and...well, I, um..._Showing her emotion, I blushed. I knew what she meant.

Naruto grinned. "So we're alike, huh? Cool. That'll make this easier."

--

Kimimaro stopped, Naruto and I right behind him, each in a possessed Jinchuuriki state. Naruto stood on four legs, while I actually stood straighter than normal. Tsume's sadistic voice leaked into mine whenever I spoke, making it difficult to go very high in volume.

Kimimaro commented on killing us, the way my brother might. A heavy breeze swept across the plain we were on. Silence. Naruto demanded to know why Lord Orochimaru needed Sasuke. Kimimaro explained. It bored me, really, because I knew this already.

The battle commenced.

Naruto used Shadow Clone Jutsu and surrounded Kimimaro. As Kimimaro was preoccupied talking with Naruto, I used the Transformation Jutsu of Naruto and went to take Sasuke's coffin. Right as I was about to grab it, Kimimaro hit me with a bone from the palm of his hand. I skidded across the ground, back into the possessed Jinchuuriki mode. I hit the feet of a few clones, making them disappear.

"Sorry, Naruto..." I said as I pushed myself up, wiping my own hair away from my face. Kimimaro turned to me.

"You should have known better..."

"I never fought you, Kimimaro."

"Still. You've seen my battles and dances. You should have _known."_

"Honestly...I wonder what Mailo would think if she knew the hate that circulated between the two of us now."

"She would strongly disapprove. But right now...she's not here."

With that, he returned his attention to Naruto. As I pushed myself up, I realized I had broken my wrist. Pain surged through my arm each time I attempted to move. It soon became numb and easier to work with.

Kimimaro quickly worked his way through the clones. I tried my best to help, but each time I did, I was cursed at and thrown back to the ground. Then, Kimimaro did what I feared he would: one of his dances. He used the Willow Dance. I pitied Naruto.

The battle raged on, each attack being thrown back at us. I attempted to strategize and focus several times, but each time, Kimimaro hit me to prevent us from progressing. He used several of his dances. Once, he even spilt Naruto's shuriken in two. But then, Sasuke's coffin began to smoke. Despite my extensive knowledge of the Cursed Mark and its processes, I wasn't quite sure what was happening. I seemed to be the only one who noticed.

Naruto began to run low on clones. Kyuubi, the Fox that Tsume had told me about, kept him going. The field was covered in smoke from the disappearing clones. The wind quickly blew that away. Finally, only one Naruto remained and the smoke from the coffin was seeping out more than ever. I could only watch, filtering through all the things that Lord Orochimaru had taught me about Cursed Marks. I knew Sasuke had the Cursed Mark of Heaven, like Mailo, but did that make anything different happen when he was in the coffin?

Smoke seeped from each and every crack in the coffin. My wrist ached and fear prevented me from taking the coffin.

Then it blew up.

It reminded me of a flash bomb, only with more power. I scrambled away from it on my hands and knees, toward Naruto. Pain thrummed a steady tune that went along with my heartbeat. Behind Kimimaro, standing among the smoke inside a hole in the ground created by the explosion (which I couldn't help but wonder if Sensei would have liked it), was Sasuke, in some degree of the Second State Cursed Mark. Then, he returned to normal. Well, normal as one can be once they have tasted such power. Naruto began to laugh and called out to him. I knew how Sasuke would react. Standing up, I grabbed Naruto's arm, with the hand on which I had broken my wrist.

"N-Naruto, stop! Please." He didn't listen. And so Sasuke reacted exactly as I had.

He began to laugh, and I knew how he felt with the power and strength that flowed so eagerly at his fingertips. Naruto uttered the same words Amaya had said to me.

"Come on. Everyone's waiting for you. Let's all go home." Sasuke began to laugh again, and Naruto became upset. Memories grew in all our minds. Sasuke took off, leaving Naruto and I behind without a word.

I turned around too late. Kimimaro sliced at Naruto and I, saying we needed to die. Suddenly, before he could hit us, Kimimaro was knocked to one side. One word and and an honorific welled to my lips and, with a happy smile and some tears, came pouring out.

"Lee kun!"

Kimimaro skidded in the grass, but caught himself. He asked who it was, and somewhere in the back of my mind, I wanted to answer. I had never felt happiness like this before, but I restricted the rose from blooming. Now was time for the _Hidden Lotus_ to bloom.

"It is I," he was in his normal stance, one hand behind his back and the other in front of himself, "the rejuvinated Leaf's Handsome Devil..." I felt like a fangirl, giddy that my hero was here. To be honest, I felt somewhat like Sakura around Sasuke. "Rock Lee!" I think I accidentally did the little, girly 'eep' when he said that, albeit it was quiet. Naruto looked at me like I was insane. I had totally forgotten about my broken wrist and the pain that surged through my arm.

"B-Bushy Brow...?" Naruto asked. "But...wh-what about your injur-"

"Do not worry about _me_, Naruto. The two of you must retrieve Sasuke!" Naruto questioned Lee kun. "I am sure. Now go! You too, Sen." Naruto then warned him about Kimimaro's abilities. Lee kun acquired a strange look on his face. He gave Naruto and I a thumbs-up. I think I squealed again. He reminded Naruto of his speech with Sakura, reminding him of his promise. Then, he promise _us _he would finish the battle.

"Oh, Lee kun, do be careful, OK?" He nodded. I couldn't help but say it: "I'm so glad you're better, Lee kun!" Naruto and I began to run. Kimimaro jumped and was about to strike Naruto. I shoved him out of the way and Lee kun caught the strike with his bare hands. Oh, how I envied him! That seemed to please Kimimaro, but Naruto and I continued running.

--

"Please, Sasuke! Don't do this! Just come back with us!" I stood at the feet of the Second Hokage with Sasuke. He was in the Second State Cursed Mark mode. "You're making the same misake I did. I may not love you like I did before, but you're still my friend."

"No. I must become stronger, to kill my brother. I must acquire the Mangekyo Sharingan by killing Naruto." Tears streamed down my face.

I shouted something I shouldn't have. "Itachi could care less! All he ever does is talk about _you!_ Kisame, a-and all of the Akatsuki for that matter, w-we have the suspiscion that...th-that deep down inside, Sasuke...I-Itachi may still love you l-like his little brother, a...and you are. I hate my brother, too, but...Take what chance you may have to rebuild even an unstable relationship with what family you have left! I've seen the remorse in Itachi's eyes when he talks about you! D-Don't let hate overcome you."

"How do you know my brother's name? Akatsuki? _We_?" I bit my lip, refusing to say any more. My entire body trembled from fatigue, from emotional stress, and, plain and simply, not knowing what to do. "Nevermind. That's irrelevant now. All that matters...is that you die, Naruto!" I put my hand out to Sasuke, something I know I shouldn't have done. Before I touched him, he hit me hard, throwing me against the stone statue. My head hurt badly and my vision swam. I could no longer hear the sound of the waterfall, nor of the swish of air when Sasuke's feet left the ground, not even then squealing of Black Chidori. What I _did _hear, however, was the two boys, the two boys who had laughed with me, tried to steal my gloves, the same two boys who had always argued, the two boys who were my _friends..._I heard them screaming one another's names.

"N...no...Naruto...Sasuke...please...don't..." The last thing I saw was the collision of Chidori and Rasengan, a large, purple fusion of chakra, and then I passed out where I was.

--

_Fwip...fwip...fwip..._

"Kakashi...are you sure she'll be OK?"

"Positive, Guy, as long as her Cursed Mark doesn't get the better of her. I don't think she used it."

"Is there still no chance of finding Sasuke?"

"Nothing."

"The rain washed away the scent. I can't smell him anywhere. But Guy, and Kakashi, the most important thing is keeping these kids alive, got it?"

"I...understand."

I heard light sniffling noises. Opening my eyes, I was greeted by closing daylight and fast-moving trees. I was on Guy sensei's back, as he jumped through the trees. I saw a small dog jumping along. My first thought...

"Akamaru...?" I used one hand to rub my eyes, remembering I had broken my wrist when the pain shocked me. I winced audibly. The dog looked up at me.

"My name's Pakkun."

"Hi, Pakkun..." I was too tired to realize that _a_ _dog had just talked to me. _I moaned. "Guy sensei...where's...where are Naruto and...and Sasuke?"

"Oh, Sen, I'm so glad you're OK. Naruto's over there with Kakashi," I saw Naruto in the same position I was on Kakashi sensei's back. He was asleep.

"And Sasuke...?"

"I'm sorry to say...we can't find him." Kakashi sensei answered in Guy sensei's stead.

"Could you...F-find Choji o-or Shikamaru? Wh-what about...what about Kiba and N-Neji...? Oh! Oh...what about Lee kun...?" My mind raced faster than I could spit out words.

"Your platoon was all found, yes, and everyone's in different states. I'd say Choji's the worst. He used the Spinach Pill."

"Th...The Spinach Pill...? He...He shouldn't have...done that."

"Shikamaru made it out with only a few scratches and a broken finger. Lee...well...let's just say Lee's OK. Kiba and Neji are in bad states, too, but they'll recover."

The last question on my mind: "What about Naruto? Is he OK?" I was waking up a little more now, all though pain still surged through my broken wrist and a headache pounded like a drum.

"Naruto's fine. He was awake a little while ago. He just needs some time and a good talk. Strange, he was worried about Sasuke and you, too. Sounds like you're good friends." Kakashi sensei smiled.

"Yeah...Good friends. That's a good word for it." I smiled, pleased. "Friends." A word I may have liked, but Zetsu would have literally killed me for just saying it. I had forgotten already. "So...did you find Sasuke?"

They took pity on me. Guy sensei said, "No, Sen. He was gone by time we got there and you and Naruto are too important lose."

"Um...Thanks, I think." I laid my head on Guy sensei's shoulder, trying to ignore the pain that pumped in my head and through my arm.

I think I ended up falling asleep.


	19. Instigation of Hate 19

**Lee Kun's True Feelings**

"How much d'you think they cost?" I asked him. Lee kun shrugged. Although he was taller than me, even he couldn't see over the line of people having their picture taken.

"I think...I believe I see a sign. Perhaps...Oh, wow!"

"What, what? How much?"

"Only a thousand ryo for one picture!"

"Oooh! That's cheap! Think we should get some?"

"Sure! We should get about four, then eight so that we can both have a copy of each picture." I nodded, smiling.

"I'll pay."

"No, you pay half of it. I will pay the other half."

"Oh, are you sure?" He smiled. Eventually, we got up to the man who was taking pictures. He was an elderly gentleman, whose face was engulfed by wrinkles each time he smiled. There was a bench in front of the large camera. Lee kun and I each paid 4,000 ryo and told him what we wanted. We sat down and, the first three pictures, we just made them look funny.

But, by time for the fourth and final picture, Lee kun told me, "Sen, relax for a moment and close your eyes. This last picture will turn out very good. Just do what I say." I nodded and smiled, not expecting anything. I closed my eyes and relaxed. Suddenly, Lee kun kissed me and the picture was snapped. He stood up quickly and got his four pictures. He took off running very fast shouting, "Wahoo! Guy sensei! I did it!" I blinked a few times and turned to the old man. He shrugged and handed me my pictures. I thanked him and went home.

--

"Sen, I must ask you a question." I turned my head and saw Lee kun standing behind me. I stood up, wiping the dirt off my hands. I had been working in a small stream with a few dead flowers, attempting to revive them.

"Yeah, sure, Lee kun. What is it?"

"Will you allow me to take you on a date?" I could tell he was blushing. The question had come so suddenly, I didn't know what to say. I blinked.

"Um...well..." And idea hit me. I plucked a live flower from a bush. "OK, Lee kun, we'll fight. If you can somehow manage to get a full - not ripped whatsoever - petal from this flower, you can take me on a date. If not, you can't ask me out for a year." He quickly went into his battle stance.

"I accept your challenge!" We began our battle. I didn't bother attacking: my only thought was to protect the flower. I only blocked him. Then, he attempted the Primary Lotus. My hands were close enough together that I could use the Dark Style: Houdini's Grand Finale Jutsu. I was down on the ground and watched Lee kun land safely, disappointed. We continued our battle. He used the Primary Lotus once more. This time, he caught me off guard and I couldn't get my hands close enough for the hand seals. As we fell, I tried to keep my hand closed as best as I could. Fortunately, I didn't break my neck when I landed. I pushed myself up. Lee kun stood over me, smiling. "Game over," he said. "I have the petal."

"Let me see." I was skeptical. He held his hand out and, all in one solid piece, a pink petal sat in his hand. I looked at the flower and there was a petal missing. I hung my head. "You win, Lee kun. You can..." I cringed, "take me on a date..."

Lee kun gave me the typical wink, thumbs-up, and tooth-sparkle. With that, we set up when the date would be. When the actual date came, it wasn't all that bad. I told him not to get used to it, because that would _never_ happen again.

**Motoyoshi Village**

"Shino...Can't we stop to take a break or something?"

"If you have the energy to complain, it seems like you have the energy to walk."

Naruto sighed. I put my arms behind my head like he so often did. My eyes were closed and I felt as thought I were boasting. "Naruto, honestly, you need to learn endurance. If Guy sensei gave you a simple assignment, me, Guy sensei, and Lee kun would all be way ahead of you and you'd never, ever make it. Well, maybe in a few _years_, you might."

His eyes grew wide and he pointed at me, shouting, "That's only because Even-Bushier-Brow-Sensei is insane! How could he make you guys do that stuff?!"

I smiled, opening my eyes. I tried to scare him. "Oh yeah? Try ten-thousand push-ups on your thumbs or maybe five-hundred laps around the village on your hands!" He seemed appalled. "A few days with Team Guy and you'd be out of Rookie Rankings!"

"I'm never training with you guys!" He shouted.

Shino turned around. "Both of you, _shut up." _

Naruto shut up, silenced by his fear of Shino. I don't get what was so scary about Shino. Unfortunately, Naruto opened his mouth. "Hey! We can go ask that old lady!" He ran up ahead, towards a woman figure. He stopped her.

I suppose I should have stopped him, but I was curious as to how far Motoyoshi Village was. I had been sent on a mission with Shino and Naruto, to protect a man at a funeral. It didn't make any sense, but I had nothing better to do. Naruto asked the woman how close Motoyoshi Village was.

"Motoyoshi Village...you say? Why, it's just over that hill." Her voice was old and her eyes, masked. Naruto thanked her. As she walked past Shino and I (moreover Shino), she said, "But be warned...Motoyoshi Village is place where even the _dead _laugh...One slip up, and you're _finished..."_ A cold wind blew over all of us as the woman walked past us. Once she was out of eyesight, we silently continued. No one said a word until we reached the village.

"So this is Motoyoshi Village, huh?" Naruto said.

"It's...a little bigger than I expected." Well, to be honest...it was smaller than Kusagakure, but just by a little bit.

We found the building we were looking for and met Fuuta, our client. Shino read the will out loud, and I was somewhat shocked by what it said. Couldn't laugh once? How irrational! We also met Mai, who was very nice to me. Mai was Fuuta's youngest sister, he said. She served us some rice. I sat across from Shino, beside Mai.

"Wait," Shino said. "Let me try it first. If it's poisoned, the parasitic insects inside my body will take away the effects."

"P-parasitic..._insects?" _Fuuta asked, seemingly appalled. I put down my chopsticks first, followed by the other three. His reasonings were perfectly clear.

When he finished, nothing happened. Fuuta said, "Well, it looks like the rice is safe to eat." He picked up his chopsticks and so did Naruto. A small chuckle escaped Shino's lips. My eyes widened. I did the only thing I could think of: I threw two shuriken to knock the chopsticks out of their hands. Then Naruto realized what was happening. He stood up.

"That's not normal!"

"Ohhh, dear, Shino, are you OK?" I was nervous. Then, he burst out in an unnatural laugh. My eyes were wide. Fuuta and Mai looked frightened, too.

"It..." He said as he covered his mouth, attempted to hold back the strange laugh, "It has to be...poison." He couldn't stop himself from laughing. I stood up, putting one hand over my mouth and the other toward him.

"P-please, Shino, calm down. You have to be right. There's no other explanation than poison. It'll...it'll wear off soon, just try to hold back the great majority of it!" He gave me a serious look.

"Sen," I just realized I had never heard him actually say my name quite like that, "you can detect poisons, right? Test the rice." I nodded but I wished I could have helped him more than just testing to see if it really was poison or just some kind of fluke. Nonetheless, I used some of the meager poison skills Yurei had taught me. I wasn't good enough to determine what kind of poison specifically, but I could tell whether it was in the rice when it grew or if it was put in after it was cooked. I sat away from the others, on the floor near the open door leading outside. I spent a while there, and my knees began to ache from sitting the way I was. As I was still beginning learning poisons, it took me a long time to go through the identification process, whilst Yurei could do it in a minute or two. All the while, I heard Shino either swallowing back laughs or chuckling.

Shino and Naruto discussed the topic of what was going to happen now that Shino was unable to stop laughing.

"Who could do such a thing?" Mai asked.

I looked up at her, slipping out of the innocent girl look. "You'll be surprised."

"But...what do you think it is?"

"Poison. Most likely chemicals used to grow the rice."

"Oh, but...I got this rice from local farmers, and they don't use any chemicals at all."

"Then there's only one other logical explanation. Anything else would be irrational, illogical, and there's no way that it will be liable."

"What's that?"

"_Someone _put this in the rice while it was cooking. The amount I detect is just enough to make someone burst out laughing, like poor Shino, but perhaps...impossible as it may seem...when the person put this in the rice, they didn't count on the rice being cooked at such a high temperature and it evaporated the great majority of the poison, but still, when the poison was put in...I'm guessing that they intended to make us all, quite literally, die laughing." Mai's hands flew to her mouth and a serious look spread across my ghost-white face.

"How could...how could we _die _laughing?"

"It's simple, really. Someone could have placed the poison in a few moments later and the effects would drastically change. Had Shino not tested it before, we would have all eaten it. The amount of poison that was put in was enough to chemically induce us into non-stop laughter for a few days. The human body can only survive without air for three minutes, and so _much_ laughter," I shuddered, "would restrict air circulation in the lungs, ultimately suffocating us all. Not any random person off the side of the street would be able to mastermind this...whomever we're dealing with...could be potentially dangerous." Mai seemed scared.

"But _who?" _She asked.

I could heard Shino swallowing back laughs as he attempted to speak. "I would...like to know, too...Whoever it is...they're getting into...a world of _hurt._"

I tapped my fingers against the wood of the floor, making small indentations each time my fingernails struck the wood. "I...I'm not sure, but my guess, Fuuta, Mai, is that it's one of your relatives."

"My...my relatives?" Fuuta asked, and then all were involved in the conversation.

"Yes." I said, staring at the bowl of rice. Tsume put the image of a little poison skull in my head and I smiled. "The will, as you remember, said you could not laugh even _once _at tomorrow's funeral. Now, they most likely planned on you trying to hold it back, and eventually, at least one little chuckle would pass your lips and ka-BOOM!" I repeated Sensei's favorite word very loudly, clapping my hands when I said 'boom.' "It'll all be over. You'll lose everything."

"You're right..."

"For now," I said, standing up and dumping the rice in the trash, then doing the same to each bowl, "my only advice is to get some rest. It's getting dark. Also, we should eat a good breakfast in the morning and stay in the room while its being cooked, so someone doesn't sneak in. Don't eat anything that you weren't there when it was prepared, or else you don't know what someone may have slipped into it. Shino," I turned to him, then blushed when I realized how serious my tone was, "I'm afraid I know no ways to reverse the effects of your poison. If I find out, you'll be the first to know."

"Understood." Shino nodded.

With that, Fuuta showed us the bedroom we would be staying in. It was a large room - everyone shared the same room - and boys were on one side while Mai and I were on the other. The beds were similar to what monks had: blankets on the floor. Even my small bed at the Akatsuki lair was more appealing than this. I slipped on the pair of green pajamas I had brought with me and double checked to make sure that all of my 'out of the ordinary' ninja tools were still in my red bag.

--

Everyone had fallen asleep except me. I could hear Shino choking back laughs in his sleep and Naruto mumbling. I could deal with Naruto's mumbling, but the incessant noise that Shino made was driving me crazy! Finally, I decided I had to take action. I pulled a roll of duct tape out of my red bag and grabbed a senbon from my ninja pouch.

Silently, I snuck over to Shino's mat-bed. He was laying on his back, with his glasses still on. The only thing that told me he was still asleep was the incessant chuckling and swallowing back chuckles. Without thinking much, I kneeled over him, one of my knees on either side. I tried to work as quietly and quickly as I could. I pressed one hand against his chest and used the other to unzip the top part of his jacket. Then, I cut two small pieces of duct tape, placed them in an X form over one another, punched a breathing hole in the very center, and smoothed it over his mouth. My work was finished and I sighed softly. I looked at him for a moment before thinking, _That looks uncomfortable...I'll take his glasses off for him... _I gingerly removed his black glasses and placed them beside his bed. His eyes were closed peacefully. My eyes were half-open, disinterested, and relaxed.

My eyes shot wide open.

Bugs began to crawl up my neck and toward my face, as they had during the Chunin Exams. Shino's cold hand was on my neck, and he was sitting up. I stared him in the eyes, frightened and shocked. He mumbled something and, muffled as it was, I could tell he had said, "Mirror. _Now." _I nodded, swallowed hard, and finally blinked. Then, I scrambled on all fours over to my bag, retrieving a mirror I often carried for when I faced an opponent who used Dark Style Jutsu like I did. All I would have to do is use a small Light Style Jutsu and reflect the light wherever it was needed. I scrambled back to him, holding the mirror. I handed it to him and he looked in it. he removed the tape, sighed, choked back a laugh, placed the mirror down, and laid backwards. I sat on my knees beside him. I did my best to avert my eyes, feeling guilty.

"Why did you do that?" He asked suddenly.

"Um...well...you were...you were laughing so much and I couldn't sleep so-"

"No. I mean, why did you take my glasses off?"

I blushed. "Oh. It looked uncomfortable." Silence followed. Well, silence except Shino swallowing back laughs. Suddenly, he sat up again and said something. "Um...I'm sorry, but...what?"

"I said, I have theory."

"Oh. Of...what?"

"Of how to get myself to...stop laughing."

"Oh, um, OK...what is it?"

"I think that maybe...if I were to kiss or be kissed by someone, on the lips, it...may take away the sensation of...wanting to laugh."

"That...that's a good theory..." I looked away.

"Sen...Will you do it?"

I turned to him, my eyes wide. "Wh-what?"

Shino sighed. "I asked you if...you would kiss me."

"Uh...um...s-sure...if it'll help..." I blushed. Seconds ticked past.

"Well? What're you...waiting for?"

"Um...OK..." I leaned in a little closer and tried to kiss him on the lips.

"You don't...kiss like that."

"Huh? Um...how could someone kiss the wrong way...?"

"Simple. Here...let me do it." With that, he kissed me, open-mouthed. It was awkward, really. Sasuke had kissed me before, but I had never actually kissed him on the lips. Lee kun had kissed me on the lips, but he hadn't kissed me open-mouthed. Here, an almost complete stranger was kissing me open-mouthed, with my consent! He stopped and we were both silent.

"W-well...did it work?"

"Darn it. It didn't work..." He sighed and laid back down. A few moments passed before I picked up my mirror, senbon, and duct tape and went back to my own bed.

I laid down and then heard, "You like him, don't you?" I sat up again and saw Mai was looking at me.

"Well, um...really...I hardly know him."

"Still, I'll bet you like him. It's OK. I've liked a few people before, had a few broken hearts. I think he'll be good for you."

"Oh, um, thanks..." She smiled and went back to sleep. I blinked and went to sleep myself.

--

"Sen...is that really all you have to wear?" Mai asked me. I was wearing my normal outfit.

"Um...well, yes...is...that a bad thing?" She shook her head, but told me to follow her. So, I did. She led me to a small room in the house. There was a small chair, a vanity, and it was, basically, like a walk-in closet. Several outits hung there.

"Here. Why don't you see if this fits?" She handed me a black iromuji-style kimono. "I'll tie the back for you and then do your hair." She smiled. I changed into the simple black kimono and she tied a pink obi around my waist. The bottom of the kimono itself was just a little too long, but it stopped right below my ankles, like it should. The eri, tomoeri, and uraeri of the kimono were the same shade of pale, baby pink as the the obi. Mai made the obi end with a loop-like thing instead of a bow. "I figured, since you're a ninja and you love that big kunai knife so much, you could put your kunai knife in the very back of the obi, so that no one knows you have it, but you can pull it out any time you like." She helped me put my kunai in the obi and smiled. I smiled back, awkwardly. "What's the matter? You look nervous."

"Um...well, you see...I haven't worn a dress since...well...I-I can't remember."

"Oh, no! That's not good at all! A proper girl should wear a dress or a kimono more than once in her life! Tell you what, after the funeral, you can keep this outfit. I've never worn it before, so it fits you perfectly." I thanked her. She told me to sit in the chair and I did. She fished a pair of tabi and geta out of a small box and had me first put on the tabi (split-toed socks), and then the geta (sandals). The geta felt strange to me, because of the fact that the only shoes I had ever worn were my ninja-regulation blue sandals. Mai then brushed my hair out until it was shiny and soft. She put a barrette in my hair, right next to my ear. The barrette had a wooden flower painted pale yellow and deep orange. I thought it looked cute. "This necklace doesn't really match. Could you take it off?" I clutched Leri's necklace tight and shook my head like a child.

"I'll never take it off."

"I understand. Let's see if you can stand in those geta." Awkwardly, I stood up. I felt like I was going to fall and Mai grabbed my hands. She had me walk around the room until I was able to walk normally. It felt like an accomplishment. "OK. You stay in here, I'll go see if the boys are out there." She opened the door and peered outside. I heard Shino talking with Naruto, and swallowing back laughs.

Mai stood completely outside the door now, holding it open. "Naruto, Shino, I'd like you both to meet the new Sen! Come on out." I put my hand to my mouth and bit the knuckle of my index finger nervously. Naruto and Shino had been facing one another, but when I came out, they stared at me, Naruto was gaping. I think Shino would have been, too, if he hadn't been trying to swallow back the poison-induced laughs. No one said a word and I blushed nervously. I still bit the knuckle of my index finger. Neither of the boys stopped staring. I turned to Mai.

I whispered, "Do...do they not like it or something...? Why are they staring...?" Mai just smiled.

"Oh, I think they like it."

Fuuta came walking into the room. "Time for us to go stand and greet the guests, Naruto. Shino, you know what you have to do."

"What about me?" I asked.

He looked at me, seeming to think. "I've got it! Why don't you come with Naruto and I?"

"OK."

"But...there is something you...might disagree on..." Fuuta seemed to hesitated until I asked him what it was. "Well, Naruto has a liable reason to be there: he's my substitue chief mourner, but you...well, the only reason I can come up with for the fact that you're here...You'll have to pretend to be Naruto's girlfriend."

Naruto shouted, "Alright!" He threw a fist in the air.

My heart stopped beating. "Wh...what?" Shino seemed perturbed by this idea.

Fuuta winced. "I'm sorry, but it's the only thing I could think of." So, that's how it was going to be. I was at a funeral; feeling awkward because I'd never worn a kimono; troubled by the fact I had to try and find out what was wrong with Shino; and on top of all that, _I had to pretend to be Naruto's girlfriend?!_

"I don't...I don't have to kiss him...do I?"

Fuuta chuckled. "No, no, you don't. But, please, let's hurry before they arrive."

So, I stood with Naruto and Fuuta. I stood to the right of Naruto and Fuuta to the left. I held my hands in front of myself nervously. At one point, a woman and her husband stopped. She had bright red lips and dark purplish hair.

"Nice to see you, Fuuta. I expect you read Father's will...Who's this boy?"

"Ah, this is Naruto! He's my substitue chief mourner."

She raised one eyebrow suspisciously. "And the girl...?"

_Naruto, my final words shall rest upon my grave..."Naruto Uzumaki...I hate you."_

Naruto grabbed my hand. "This is my girlfriend, S-" I held his hand, but cut him off when I drove my fingernails very sharply, yet discretely, into his palm. Through clenched teeth, he said, "What's that nickname you wanted me to call you by...?"

I smiled sweetly and bowed to the woman, releasing Naruto's hand. "My name is Seri, Ma'am," I lied.

"Seri, huh? Hmn...well, good luck, young man." She walked in the room and Naruto's face furrowed in pain as he gripped his hand tightly.

"Owwww! You have sharp fingernails!" He whisper-shouted.

Fuuta said, "That was my eldest sister, Tsukiko. She wants my father's estate more than anyone!"

I sat beside Naruto, between him and Tsukiko. Naruto was making a strange face, I suppose to prevent himself from laughing. AS a challenge that Guy sensei was aways telling us to make, I set a goal so that I won't laugh at all, either. Then, Mai announced the arrival of the priest.

Naruto and I turned at the same time and had the same reaction to the priest. He was old, had only three hairs on the top of his head, and had small, beady eyes. I thought I might pass out laughing right then and there, but I bit the inside of my mouth so nothing more than a smile welled up. The priest kneeled in front of the casket, and one of the hairs on the top of his head fell. My eyes grew wide. Naruto turned to Fuuta, glaring at him. Fuuta looked upset. Then, Naruto turned back around only to see the beady-eyed priest staring at him. I cleared my throat and sat up straighter, trying to ignore the hilarious expression on Naruto's face.

The priest returned to his work, another hair coming off of his head. My heart beat faster as Naruto's urge to laugh grew higher and higher. I grabbed his hand, pressing my nails hard into his skin and it looked like his urge left. Then, the priest hit a bell and the final hair on his head flew off. I must admit, Tsume was laughing like crazy. Naruto began to laugh and a bucket was knocked over. Everyone turned toward the bucket. No one heard Naruto. I...hope.

"Young man, did you just start to laugh...?" Tsukiko insisted. Naruto gathered himself and quickly denied. "Didn't you hear him, Mai?" Mai said she only heard the bucket. "Seri, you're sitting closer. Did he just laugh?" Realizing I had told her my name was Seri, I shook my head.

"No, ma'am, nothing at all." Then Naruto noticed the same thing I did: Shino's Kikaichu were buzzing away from the bucket. I think, mentally, we both thanked him for that. Each of the family members attempted to make Naruto laugh, each time, coming close to succeeding, yet each time, failing. Even Tsukiko's husband tried a rather...odd...way of trying to make Naruto laugh.

Suddenly, a man began to laugh in the middle of Tsukiko's husband's performance. Tsukiko thought it was Naruto, but a man raised from inside the coffin. Tsukiko and Fuuta were astonished. Apparently, this man was their father. Three children appeared, complaining and talking with one another. Younger versions of Tsukiko, Fuuta, and Mai, I guessed. Their father began to hit a small gong and sing a stupid song. We all giggled and laughed and chuckled. But then, everyone stopped laughing when the old woman we had met along the trail appeared with Mai. When had Mai even left...? I hadn't even noticed she was gone! Then old woman removed her hat and it was...well...it was Fuuta's father! I think my heart stopped when I noticed that the little children were made of insects and...

The man who came out of the casket was really Shino in disguise!

My stomach turned. Their father apologized to us all, explaining his reasonings. Tsukiko attempted to sing the song Shino had.

--

"Ohhhh, that's that laughing stuff, isn't it...?" I peered into the bottle.

"Why, yes," Mai's father said, "However, it's still experimental." He then explained why he had used the laughing potion on Shino. As he continued to explain, Mai pulled me away from the others for a few last words.

"So, have you thought about what I asked you?" She said quietly.

"Um...well, sort of..."

"And...?"

"I don't know, really, I mean, I guess I do..."

Mai smiled. "Well, who knows? Maybe when you're older, he might even be the father of your children. Why don't you come back to visit sometime?"

I smiled back, remembering the iromuji kimono she had given me. "Sure. I'd like that." We said our final goodbyes.

Naruto asked if we accomplished our mission. "I believe we did," Shino said, "I think the Fifth Hokage knew what the real mission was the whole time." Naruto scoffed.

"Grandma Tsunade? Yeah, she better give me a good mission now."

I put my hands behind my head again. "Just think about it, Naruto, at least now you can have the time to train with Lee kun and I." I grinned and his eyes went wide. Then I saw a pretty flower I liked a little bit ahead and I ran to pick it. While I was gone, I suspect he thought I couldn't hear him, Naruto stroke up a conversation with Shino.

"Hey, Shino...when you posed as that old man, did you _really _come up with that? I mean, like all that 'dongity-ding, bongity-bing' stuff was _yours_?" I watched in silence as Shino grabbed Naruto by the collar of his shirt, bringing him close for easier imtimidation.

"_Not _a _word. Especially _not to _her. _It _never _happened. _Understand...?"_

"I...I understand." Shino let Naruto go. "Geez, Shino...you really are a wonderful person to work with, you know?"

I put the flower in Naruto's tangled hair. "Get used to it. Somehow I feel like you're going to have to deal with him a whole lot more from now on."

**Battle of Life or Death**

"Why...won't...you...just...leave me alone!?" I slammed my kunai into one man's stomach, yanked it out, and then drove it through another man's head.

"All Akatsuki members must be eliminated," said one man.

"And you're from Iwa, trying to kill me, from Kusa!? Shouldn't you," I killed the man who had spoke, "be trying to kill Deidara!?"

"He will be hunted later. Right now, you are top of the list." _Slice. _That one was dead.

"Why am _I _on the top of the list!?"

"'Akatsuki Senari. Jinchuuriki. Insanity recorded in all visited villages. Pyschotic murderer. Vampire. Cannibal. Potentially dangerous. Akatsuki member. Sister of Zetsu." He emitted a cry of pain when I killed him. Hours passed and I began to run low on strength and chakra.

"Sen? Are you alright?" I looked up and saw the bug-boy standing in a tree. Oh, what was his name!? It had only been two weeks since I last went that mission with him, and I already forgot!

"No," I panted, slamming another in the stomach, "does it _look _like I'm OK?"

"Let me help you."

"Careful, they're from the Rocks and really strong." The Aburame boy fought alongside me. "Of course, they're no match for...Leaf determination and Grass strength. What d'you say?"

"I must agree." One of the Ninja threw a kunai which caught the shoulder of the Aburame boy's jacket, pinning it against the tree. He removed his first jacket and he had a black, long-sleeved shirt beneath and small section on his shoulder was missing, blood seeping past his flesh. As I recoiled from a hit, I stood alone, panting and bleeding. I heard someone say my name, turned to the Aburame boy, and closed my eyes instantly. The impact I anticipated came along with a consistent screeching noise. I opened my eyes, feeling the cold ground beneath my back, and saw the Aburame boy staring at me through his dark glasses. He had pushed me down to stop me from being hit, lost his balance, and fell on top of me, then covered us with a dome of insects. "Are you OK?"

I shoved him away. "Get off," I moaned. I was _angry. _My chakra was running low and my strength was going quickly. If I pushed myself too far, I could die. I stood up, dusting off my pants. I stuck my hand in the wall of insects, quickly it pulling out after they bit me. "Take them down. Let me fight."

"You're injured."

"_Let me fight_." I repeated.

"No, I won't let you kill yourself."

"C'mon, there's only two left! I can take th - Ah..." I grasped the side of my arm and gasped for breath. I may not have screamed, nor say ow, but the Aburame boy could tell I was in pain.

"Let me see it."

"It's fine!" I pulled myself away.

He glared at me. "So what now?"

"I don't know. What _do _we do now?"

"If I release any more Destruction Bugs, I don't know what might happen. Obviously, you're running out of strength and you have no chakra left to use."

"I have enough to do something. Take down the bugs."

"No, the Ninja will kill us both."

"Listen, Shino or _whatever_ your name is...just trust me."

"No."

"Take...the bugs...down..._now._"

"Or what?"

I pulled out my kunai. "Or this." He froze for a second before agreeing.

I pressed my hands against the ground and we both counted down. At 'san,' he brought down the wall of insects and I released my chakra into the earth. I heard a swish of air from a well-aimed kunai, and then, a split second later, a thick _thud. _I leaned against the large vines protruding from the dirt, panting.

"The vines will provide safety for as long as we need them. If their skin is struck and pierced, they spit out acid from the wound and mend themselves. They also emit breathable oxygen, but not so much as one wrong move could make us blow up."

"You don't have the chakra remaining to take them down if needed, do you?"

"Honestly...no."

"Great." He sighed and sat down at the base of the vines like I was. "So, what now? Do we just die here?"

"I supp - wait." I stood up and tried absorbing chakra from the base of the vines. It didn't work. "Nevermind..." I still stood, and leaned my head against the vines. "We're going to die here..."

"If you're so certain we're going to die..." His voice came from behind me. "Then there's something I've wanted to say and do for a few weeks..." Exhausted and ready to give in, I turned around. I was about to ask him what it was, but he grabbed my shoulders and kissed me, open-mouthed like he had before. I didn't mind, really. Actually, I sort of liked it. After he stopped, I noticed he didn't have his glasses on but I had to say something.

"There...was something you wanted to say...?"

"Oh, yes...I love you, and I have for weeks."

I looked at him, at his eyes. They were beautiful. How had I not noticed them before? The color was a pretty greenish amber color, and the gaze he returned to me portrayed what he had said. Then an idea hit me.

"Give me a moment." I said. _Tsume, lend me your strength and chakra, so as though we do not die here. _

_Understood, my lovely._

"Aburame," I said, ruining our tender moment by using his last name, "let me borrow a shuriken or something. I'm all out."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

"OK, here." He handed me a shuriken.

"Get ready, Aburame," I licked my lips and teeth, pausing over my fang teeth, "You're about to see something no Leaf Shinobi has ever seen before. Not even Amaya or Sasuke." I pressed the point of the shuriken against my skin, at the top of the bandage gloves. Quickly, I sliced the bandages open on both arms and let them fall to the ground. Grey scars stared at me, taunting me with memories of pain. My most recent scar was on the underside of my left arm, where Zetsu had cut me for forgetting to watch Tobi. The worst, however, were on the palms of my hands, from where he had nailed me to the wall. There was no indentation in my skin when you ran your fingers over it: it felt perfectly normal. But you could clearly see the grey lines in my white flesh. The underneath of my bandages...that's what I had to hide.

Dipping into Tsume's chakra reserves, I fed it into the ground. I heard screaming, ripping, and the tearing of flesh. Then, when I was certain I was done, I lowered the vines back into the ground. The Aburame boy and I wandered where we were, inspecting the grotesquely impaled cadavers. Then, we wandered back to one another. We stood very close.

I couldn't help it. I had to. "So, um, Shino...what were those death wishes again?"

"My apologies. Did I not make them clear the first time?"

"No, they were clear, I just...I want to make sure I remember them."

"Oh, well, in that case..." He kissed me again. This time, I was sure I liked it. And I was sure I liked him: Shino. After all we'd been through and all he'd done for me, it had taken me this long to figure out that we loved each other. I suddenly felt stupid.

"Sen? Shino? Where are you - Oh. There you are. It's a good thing you're safe." Amaya interrupted us, but we weren't mad. I smiled at her, as happily as had been in a long time. She smiled back. "Time to go back. Let's go." Shino and I followed her back into the Konohagakure, and out of the Forest of Death. Shino went back to his house after kissing me once more. We seemed to be excercising this new oppurtunity quite a bit. Amaya stayed with me. She grinned. "There's no one for you, huh?"

"I suppose he's no one." I smiled.

"I see the beginning of a brand new romance. You two look cute together!"

"Well...I don't know if it'll last but..." Mai's words rang in my head: "_Well, who knows? Maybe when you're older, he might even be the father of your children."_

At that thought, I shuddered, but smiled. "I was right. You do like him. Oh, wow, wait 'til everyone else hears about this! I wonder what Lee will do?"

"Lee kun will understand. It's Zetsu I'm worried about..."

"Zetsu? Who's that?"

"Oh...no one, really."

"Do you seriously love Shino?"

"You saw him kissing me, didn't you?"


	20. Instigation of Hate 20

**Friendly Competition**

"So, um, what happens now?" I asked.

Shino tapped his fingers against the bench. "I don't know."

"What _do _people usually do when they date?"

"They...go on dates..."

"Obviously."

He sighed. "Well, at least now when I have to duel you, you might decline to prevent yourself more humiliation than what you had during the Chunin Exams."

"Humiliation?" I laughed. "You've _got_ to be kidding me! I wasn't humiliated at all!"

Shino seemed to find pleasure in entertaining this domesticated argument. "Oh, really?"

"Really!"

He smiled. "So, then, what was that embarrassed looked on your face for?"

"I was embarassed because I needed help getting up."

"You had that look before that."

I sighed and leaned backwards, hitting his knee. Team Guy had gone on another mission, leaving me behind. This time, I was supposed to train with Team Kurenai. Everyone was positioned randomly about a small area in a safe part of the Forest of Death. It was in the middle of lunch, but I was fasting for the day and I don't know why Shino didn't eat.

"So..." I asked, "does all this taunting mean you want a rematch?"

"What?"

"You heard me." I grinned. "'Cause you know I'm not going to go easy on you just 'cause we're dating."

"Sounds more like _you're _the one who wants a rematch."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, of course not, especially since I'm certain you'll lose."

"Oh, come on, now, Shino. It's not like you to be boasting so openly when you have not tasted your opponent's full power."

"What're you saying?" He taunted me. "Do you mean that there's more to you than meets the eye?"

"Of course. You cannot see my headband, yet I wear it. You have not tasted my power, yet it's there."

_Nor do you intend on using _our _power on him, do you, dear?_

_Of course not, Tsume._

_I thought as much. _

"So, are you ready for that rematch?"

"_Any _day, Shino."

"I'll die to win against you."

"Only because you were born to lose."

"Really funny."

"Isn't it, though?"

"Not exactly...stand up."

"Oh, so you _do _want to fight!"

"Yeah, so? Is that a bad thing?"

"Of course not!" And so, we began our rematch. I just dodged his attacks and, occasionally, I got bit by bugs. It was quite irritating, really. Unmei watched from a distance, smiling. Shino's movements, I hate to say it, but they were quite predictable.

_Right, left, down, jump, flip..._I said each dodge in my mind when I did it.

Shino stopped, panting. I stood with my arms crossed. "Sen, this is a rematch, get it? You have to _fight back._"

"Oh," I taunted, "I _do? _I thought I was allowed to just stand here and be a pain in the neck."

"Well, you seem to be doing a _great_ job at it...Ready to continue?"

"You know it!" Once more, we continued our battle. I attacked a couple of times.

"Come on, Sen..." Shino said as we battled, "I'm...itching to see one of those_...infamous_...Dark Style Jutsu...of yours...Won't you please...show me one?"

"As long as...you're not afraid of the dark..." I purred. "Dark Style: Demon Stew Genjutsu!" I really didn't want to make Shino endure such pain as the Demon Stew Genjutsu, but it was on an impulse and it was too late to stop it. Demons pulled themselves out of the ground, hideous forms as they were, and pitch darkness surrounded us. I knew I was totally invisible to him, but I could see him, his confusion, his pain, all very clearly. "Dark Style: Penitentiary Overload Jutsu Canceler!" The darkness and demons dissipated, leaving only the two of us. "Sorry, Shino..." I apologized. He smiled.

"It's alright...Quite..._interesting..._Jutsu you have..." He seemed to shudder.

**Sorry, Shikamaru!**

"Sen, this is the last time I'm asking you: Do you know how to play? Either of them?" I folded my hands behind my back, thinking.

"Well...I _do..._I've just never - "

"Good! Play me!"

"I've never really...actually _played _against someone before...I've only _seen _people playing and I've learned how..."

"So? Now's your chance."

"Um...OK." Shikamaru and I sat down across from one another, the board in between us. "Shogi or Go first?"

"Shogi first, then Go." And so we began. Shogi wasn't all that hard. It was over quickly, and Shikamaru and I were both astonished when I won. Then, we began Go. I liked Go much better than Shogi. I don't know why: I just did. I played as black, but Shikamaru didn't allow me a handicap. He said that if I had watched people play enough to know how, I shouldn't need a handicap. "...Pass..."

"I pass, too."

"Then let's count up territory. Oh, how many prisoners do you have?"

"Ten."

"Hmn...I only have eight...Oh well." We counted up our territory. "How many points do you have?"

"Twenty-eight." I was sitting cross-legged and I began to rock back and forth like a child.

Shikamaru's eyes grew wide as he stared in disbelief at the board, mentally calculating each move, trying to find a mistake. "How...how did...am I...I only have...twenty-_six _points..."

"I guess that means I win, right?"

"I've never lost before, except to Asuma...And you say you've never played before..."

"Nope. Never."

"This is crazy."

"Aw, it's just beginner's luck, Shikamaru! Don't think about it too much!"

"But I had my IQ tested, and it's over 200...have you had your IQ tested?"

"What's an IQ? No one ever talked about those in Kusagakure." Honestly, no one ever had. We didn't have quite as advanced technology as Konoha, as we were much smaller and our Daimyo focused more on warfare and Shinobi training than for the mental development of our village.

"Well, an IQ is like...it's like how smart you are, but then...a genius inventor could very well have an IQ 20, while a total moron like Naruto could have an IQ of 100. I guess...wow...I don't know how to explain it."

"I get it, now. So, um, I suppose that means we're scheduled for a rematch sometime?"

"I suppose so..."

**Taka Ishi**

Music.

That was one of the many things Zetsu had never involved in my life. The only music I knew was nature's requiem and the humming of many mothers to their infants. I, for one, did not have a mother to hum to me nor did I know what possibilities lie behind the face of music.

"So, what kind of music do you like?" Choji asked. Shikamaru looked attentive for once, as though he were curious as to the answer.

"Um...m-music...?" Not only had I never listened to music before, but Zetsu had forbidden me from listening to it. He said that those who listened to music religiously were those who did not have the power to listen to their victims' screams. I dare not tell Shikamaru or Choji that.

"Yeah. Do you like rock or classical or something else?" Shikamaru added on.

"Well...um...I've never really...uh..."

"You've _never _listened to music?!" The boys shouted at the same time. Shikamaru stood up and grabbed my arm.

"Choji, let's go. We're taking her to my house."

"Uh...guys? Don't _I _get a say in this...?"

"No." They said, once more in unison. Both of them were holding one of my arms tightly, so I couldn't get away.

"Why are we going to your house, Shikamaru san?" I had to ask, seeing as there was no way out.

"We're going to my house so _you _can hear good music. Do you know how to play an instrument or read music?"

"Um...I think..." I thought back to going to Leri's piano lessons in the middle of winter and listening in, watching him play and learn. "I can play a piano."

"Then you can play a keyboard." The rest of the way was silent, except for the many times I tried to break out of my friends' grasps. Each time I did, it ended in us all laughing. Eventually, we reached Shikamaru's house. He kicked at the door. "Hey Mom, open the door, will 'ya?" I heard a woman complaining. The door opened.

"Shikamaru! What are you doing to her?! Let her go. Remember, young man: be respectful to women or you'll never get a wife!" She swatted Shikamaru on the head with a rolled up piece of paper.

"Yes, Mom..." He moaned. Choji and Shikamaru let me go and I dusted myself off. The boys attempted to enter the house and Shikamaru's mother pushed them backwards with the paper.

"You will _not _be entering _my _house until I have a proper introduction to this young lady the two of you are bringing into my home without my consent."

"Mom, this is my friend Sen. Sen, this is my mom. There. Happy?"

She smiled. "Now you can go." I followed Shikamaru and Choji into Shikamaru's room. He closed the door and walked over to a box-like device. On each side, it had speakers like a computer and the top of it popped open when Shikamaru pressed on it. There were several different buttons and dials on it and a wire that ran to the wall on the back of it.

"This, Sen, is rock music." He put a silvery disc in the box-like machine and pressed a button. Loud music rang in my ears. I had never heard it before, but it was interesting. The words were hard to understand, but I liked the tune of it and the sound of the instruments clashing together.

"I like this. It's 'rock' music, you say? It's...interesting." I smiled. Shikamaru took the hair-tie out of his hair. My eyes grew wide. I had never seen him with his hair down. It was strange, really. I suppose Choji was used to it, as he had no reaction.

"Why don't you two come see this?" Shikamaru turned off the music and led Choji and I into a different room. The walls were thicker and so was the carpeting. There were three instruments in the room: two I couldn't identify and one that looked like a small piano with a stand. Each instrument was bright red and white. "My Dad and his friends tried to start a band a few years back, but it didn't work. He showed me these a little while ago. I tuned the guitar and made sure all the keys play on the keyboard and all the drums work right."

"So..." I ran my fingers over the keys on the keyboard, silently playing the notes of Leri's favorite song. "What's your point in showing us these, Shikamaru?"

"I wanna see if the two of you would like to start a rock band."

Choji and I looked at one another, grinning, then back to Shikamaru. He laughed. "Alright. So what would our name be?"

We all begant brainstorming, shouting off as many as we could think of. Then Choji said, "How about Taka Ishi?"

"Hey, yeah, I like that idea, 'stone hawk'...What about you, Shikamaru?" I looked at him.

"I like it, too. Everyone agreed?" We all nodded. "Then our band name is Taka Ishi." With that, we figured out who would play what. I was playing the piano -- er, the _keyboard, _I reminded myself -- Shikamaru was playing something called a 'guitar' and Choji was playing the 'drums.' When I turned the on _keyboard _(yes! I said it right!), Shikamaru asked what I could play.

I played the first thing that came to my mind. It was a song that gave Leri a lot of difficulty. He always tried to play it right, spending hours upon hours on it. I had watched his piano lessons through the windows many a cold winter, as neither Kei nor my Grandmother could afford my own lessons for any kind of instrument. The song was so melancholy and quiet, that it only enhanced the sad memories that came as I played it. I couldn't help but cry as I remember his smiling face; his kind quietness; his bright blue eyes with a piercing gaze that made you feel like you were being interrogated, yet such a sweet, innocent and pure smile...

The notes stopped and I used the back of my hand to wipe tears from my eyes. "So...was it good enough, Shikamaru?" He smiled.

"If that's the worst you've got...don't take your fingers off those keys." I smiled and laughed. Apparently, Choji already knew how to play drums and Shikamaru could play guitar. He said it was a normal guitar, not a 'bass' guitar. Whatever that meant. After a while, we already had the first minute of a song down on paper, and we could play it. It sounded good. "We've hit a roadblock, I'm afraid." Choji and I were confused and asked Shikamaru what our problem was. "Every good rock song has words to it. I'm not singing and Choji..."

"I am _not _singing, either." Choji shook his head.

"Unfortunately, that leaves only you, Sen, as our lead singer. Can you sing?"

"I..." Sing...? Oh, no...I'd heard Amaya singing before, but never had I actually sung. Singing just...never in my life had I sung. I'd hummed, not sung. "I don't know any songs."

"Well..." Shikamaru tapped his fingers against the wall. "Choji, think of a lullaby. We need to have her sing _something._"

"A lullaby...? I don't know any..."

_Natsushiboshi, the one Kei said was sung in other villages. You remember, my dear?_

_Oh, yes! How could I forget? Thank you, Tsume!_

"I suppose I do know a lullaby, Shikamaru. My foster father used to sing it to me...he said it was also sung in other villages, and it was called Natsushiboshi..."

"Well then...let's hear it!"

"Well, um...this is...the first time I've ever actually sung..." Shikamaru laughed and I blushed. Closing my eyes, I remembered how clearly Kei could form the words to the lullaby, how quickly I always fell asleep when he sang it, and that I always asked him to sing it for me before I went to sleep. That all changed when they made me live with Siya. Before I knew it, my lips began to move, playing back memories of him singing, and feeling as though I was singing with him. Then, I finished and opened my eyes. Shikamaru and Choji were staring at me, wide-eyed.

"Sen...If you can sing like that...we'll be rich in no time! We won't even need instruments." Choji grinned. I blushed once more and smiled feebly.

Suddenly, the door opened. A man who looked similar to Shikamaru stood in the door. "Who was that singing? That was pretty good."

"Oh, hey, Dad, this is my friend Sen. That was her singing." I bowed to the man.

"Kon'nichi wa." Of course. I _always _had to be formal when meeting someone, thanks to Zetsu.

I heard Choji say, "Hi, Shikaku!" Tsume began laughing boisterously.

_What's wrong, Tsume? _I asked, memories of Motoyoshi Village swelling up.

_Oh, nothing, dear, nothing. It's just that...that Gaara boy, the one who's siblings are Kankuro and Temari...his demon's name is _Shu_kaku, and this man's name is _Shi_kaku!_

_Yes, I suppose that is quite humorous._

"Hey, Choji. Good to see you're alive and well. After Shikamaru told me about what happened on that mission, I was a little worried..." He turned his attention to me. "You're pretty good at singing. Are you in a choir or something?"

"What's -- " I felt Shikamaru beside me, one hand over my mouth and the other on my arm opposite him. He grinned boyishly.

"Eh, heh...that was the first time...she's...ever sang...Dad." I could see Shikaku's eyes grow large.

"Really? It'd sound like a miracle if you sang more often." He turned to Shikamaru. "C'mon, boy, get your hands off her. She can talk. - " _Why do people keep thinking Shikamaru likes me?! We're just friends and he _knows _I'm dating Shino! _"- So, are you guys gonna do that band think I suggested?" Shikamaru stepped back to his spot.

"Yeah. We've already got a name!" Choji said. Shikaku laughed and asked what it was.

We all answered at once, "Taka Ishi." He smiled and told us to keep working before closing the door. At about 7 pm, Choji and I had to go home, but we almost had our first song finished.

**Halloween and Shikaku's Haunted House**

Zetsu never told me about any holidays that anyone celebrated. He said that celebration was needed only for victory in battle or the accomplishment of something great, not some long-forsaken anniversary that no one knew what it was for. Halloween was one of them. I had seen many children my age dressed as cats, bats, monsters, and who-knows-what whlie I was on missions and longed to do what they did. I also knew what Haunted Houses were, and frankly, they intrigued me.

I was training alone, the cold of Autumn seeping into my flesh. I was beginning to get tired. I slupped against the training dummy. It was about 6 pm, and I had been training since about 5:30 am.

"You honestly train too much." I turned around and saw Shikamaru standing there.

"You're the Ninja with Cloud Envy."

"_I'm _the number one coward."

"Too true."

"Anyway...My dad's starting a Haunted House for this Halloween and he's going to have it up for about a month or two. He told me to see how many of my friends would like to work there as actors."

"Are you going to work there?"

"Yeah. So far, I've got Kiba and Akamaru and...that's it."

"You can add me to the list."

"Thanks." And with that, he took off.

A week later, all of us were gathered. I recognized Kiba, Akamaru, Shikamaru, Kankuro, Ten Ten, and I was very pleased to see Shino would be working with me. A few other people were there, but I didn't know who they were. Shikaku told us his ideas for the Haunted House, the two months it would be up, and who he absolutely wanted to play what part. Only a few of us were placed in permanent spots. I was. I was going to be the insane girl in the cage in the final room. I was supposed to scream and cry, ask for keys, do anything else that someone insane might, and I was allowed to touch the people passing by. That would be a big advantage with the scare factor. Shikaku said that my role was the lead role, the biggest part because I would be actually trying to get the people to help me. There would be another actor (mostly likely Ten Ten, he said) who got the keys for me from the far wall and then would be killed by Kiba who would be playing the role of the gatekeeper. We rehearsed a lot and the screams I used were many times practiced, used often because of how many times Zetsu would hit or cut me. Then, the first night came. I wore a simple, ankle-long dress spattered with blood and ripped up. We used make up to add blood to my skin and make it look like I was crying. They put some kind of powder in my hair to make it look like it was all dusty and dirty. I went barefoot. They put real metal cuffs around my ankles and wrists. Shino's only job was to scare people with the insects. He wouldn't even be visible to the common public. Just in case, Shikaku had him dress in all black. Ten Ten wore an outfit similar to mine. Shikaku had decided that we were going to both be escaped mental patients who were sisters. Ten Ten was very pretty when she took her hair down and, in the right light, we _did _look like sisters. Kiba wore an all black outfit, dressed slightly oddly. Akamaru was powdered black and Shikaku used a cheap trick on poor little Akamaru: he put whip cream on his mouth to make it look like he was foaming at the mouth. It worked, though. Kankuro was using Crow and Ant as his monsters. He was going to be a mad scientist and Crow and Ant were his "mess up" experiments. I was surprised by his acting ability, although he was typically unenthusiastic when it came to normal life. Shikamaru just reviewed everything we were doing, making sure we had every line down. We all scuttled to our places. Ten Ten helped me make sure the cage was locked and Kiba hid in the far corner, amongst the shadows. Ten Ten stood on the other side of the room, near the door they would be coming in from. At a signal from Ten Ten, I began to scream, as the first group was close enough to hear me. I shouted for help, made loud sobbing noises, and cried "please" over and over. Through the darkness of the room, I could see the people entering the room looking about.

I inhaled deeply. "Help me!" I screamed, making myself sound pitiful, like I was crying. "Oh, please, help me! Keys! S-someone! Keys!" I flailed my arm outside of the cage, trying to make the chains jingle as much as possible.

"I will help you, sister!" Ten Ten ran out of the corner, through the frightened people, and towards the keys. She grabbed them off the wall and ran toward me. I feigned joy and reached for her.

Kiba's voice boomed, "Hey! What're you doing out of your cell?!" Akamaru ran and "bit" Ten Ten's leg (He didn't really bite her.). She feigned a pained scream. People in the crowd also screamed, cowering. They were trapped in the room until Shino moved a stream of bugs he was using to mask where the door was. Kiba pretended to yank Ten Ten by her hair, but he really only softly grabbed her. Ten Ten had to obey every movement as though she were in pain, or else she really would be. Fake tears streamed down her face. Kiba maniacally ran a _real _kunai over her neck, then stabbed at a fake-blood sack that was concealed under her dress, on her shoulder, ingeniusly. When hit, it would provide the illusion of her being stabbed in the heart. The thin red liquid looked real in the dark as it spattered on Ten Ten's white dress, the wall, and even some of the people who screamed when the unexpected red warmth hit them. All this while, I was crying and screaming insanely, shouting "sister,""keys,""die you wretch," and "don't kill her." Kiba pretended to toss "the dead body" to the floor and threw the kunai at me. He didn't hit me, but was pretty close. He then stomped through the crowd, yeling at them. That pushed them closer to me and I reached towards them, my hands covered in fake blood. As I reached for an approaching girl --

_Whoops!_

I grabbed her arm and yanked. She screamed. Then, as I realized who she was, she fainted. Shino moved the insects out of the way of the door. Kiba stopped the next group from entering. As most of the people scrambled out of the room and into the fresh night air, one boy stayed behind and I soon recognized who _he _was, too. I undid the hidden lock to my metal cage (yeah, wonderful) and stooped down to help him try to wake her up Ten Ten pushed herself up, wiping the fake blood off her face. We all had to pick her up and take her outside of the Haunted House. We put her on one of the stacks of straw. There was a bright red smudge on her arm, in the shape of a hand. I tapped her shoulder lightly.

"Amaya," I sang, "Wake up..." Zaku shook his head and Ten Ten sighed.

"She's not going to wake up." Zaku's arms were crossed over his chest.

Shino stood behind me, peering over my shoulder. I tapped Amaya again and her eyes opened. She saw me, full dressed and costumed with all my make-up on, and then fainted again. I tapped her once more and covered her eyes.

"Amaya," I said sternly, "when you open your eyes, it will look like Shino, Zaku, and two dead girls. The dead girls are just me and Ten Ten. Don't be scared." I took my hand off her eyes and she blinked, sitting up.

"What happened...?" She said, rubbing her head. Shino and I took turns reciting parts of the story. Ten Ten, Shino, and I all returned to our jobs and let Amaya and Zaku go home. I grinned.

I was**_ NEVER _**going to let her live that down.

**I Almost Told The Truth**

"We're going an a sub-mission. _Now." _Zetsu's black half growled. I bowed.

"Yes, Brother. When will we be leaving?"

He shrugged. "Eh, tomorrow."

"Understood." The next day, I told Shikaku I would be needing some time off from working in the Haunted House, due to a mission. I didn't tell him _who _assigned me the mission, but...

--

I pursed my lips and moaned nervously as we jumped through the trees. Zetsu turned his head to look at me.

"What? What the hell's wrong with you?"

"Um...could you please explain again to me what we are doing on this mission, Brother?"

"Ugh...can't you ever remember a damn thing I tell you?! Fine, fine...We're trailing a caravan being escorted by Leaf Ninja, including the Uzumaki boy that _you're_ supposed to be watching. Rumor has it, three brothers -- they're ninja, too -- plan on robbing the caravan." He gave me a stern look. I looked at him pitifully and he scoffed. His white side, the more caring and brotherly (if he was brotherly at all...) side, said, "Look, I know how soft hearted you are, but you can save only _one _life on this mission. Got it? Any more, and you'll be sacrificing your own." As a warning, he threw two senbon (non-poisoned) into my left arm. They buried themselves painlessly past my Akatsuki cloak and into my flesh. No blood was drawn when I pulled them out of my arm and tossed them to the ground. After that, I was silent. I needed to learn when I shouldn't ask questions.

--

"Damn it...They're splitting up...I'll follow these ones... you follow them." Zetsu said, and the two of us split up.

I hoped that Naruto wouldn't put his life out on this mission.

--

Two of the three brothers were fighting Naruto. I had only caught one of their names: Ruiga. I bit my lip as I sat in hiding. Whose life would I have to save?

I spaced out, then realized that Naruto was gone, along with the other people with him. The only two left were Ruiga and his fat brother. Ruiga was weaponless and in a hole, whilst his brother was raising a large stone over his head, about to crush him.

I couldn't just watch idly as someone was crushed with a rock. I used my speed as an advantage and rescued Ruiga. His brother slammed the stone into the hole just in time to give us a good veil. I returned the stunned Ruiga to a place behind a stone. His brother assumed he was dead and fled.

I turned my attention to the shaking and frightened man.

"Wh-who are you?" He asked. "Why did you save me?"

"I'm a good soul with bad intentions. My alias: The Girl of the Wolfbane. Listen, I know people, and if you do any more crimes, I will come and personally undo my saving of your life. Give up on being a ninja. Get a job, forget tonight. Just don't do any more crimes or I will _know. _I can only save one life tonight, and you're it. So be grateful."

"Wait, I --" I took off, leaving him alone to piece together what I said.

Zetsu and I reunited once more not long after. We were both in pursuit of the other man. My brother grinned with cruel pleasure.

"I see you've already saved your one life. I hope you don't regret that later..." The low purr of cruelty and maliciousness he used in his voice sickened me to know I was related to someone of such nature. But such is life.

--

Zetsu and I stood in the trees, watching Naruto and Hinata battle the man we had been in pursuit of. I grimaced with every bit of their confusion, every blow that was struck to them, and every scream that was emitted. Worry spread across my face. Zetsu sighed.

"What's wrong with you now?"

"Don't you think we should...maybe...help them?" I instantly regretting what I had said. My brother raised a curious eyebrow at my question, hate and malice glowing in his yellow eyes.

"Now, Sen, why would you have the desire to help _total strangers...?" _He paused, and his eyes thinned. He lowered his voice. "You don't _know _these people, _do you?_"

I bowed and closed my eyes. "No, Brother, I know only the Uzumaki boy, as required for the mission. I don't know the others."

"Good girl..."

Their mission ended without any of the three (Choji, Naruto, and Hinata) dying. My heart seemed to stop with relief. I didn't tell Naruto I knew about his mission.

**Bad Dreams**

_A cold wind blew over my face. Warmth rained down in puddles of sunlight. My arms were down on my sides, and the cool grass brushed over my face. Rubbing my eyes, I sat up. The sunlight burned my eyes. After the effect weared away, I was able to open my eyes. I was sitting in the middle of a plain. The yellow-green grass rustled in the cool wind and the light blue sky was dotted with puffs of white. Around me lay everyone I had ever known or seen: Naruto, Sasuke, Amaya, Shino...even Leri. Their arms were straight by their sides like mine had been and they had their eyes closed. None of them seemed to be breathing. I went to Tsume, needing to know what trickery this may be._

_"Tsume! Tsume, what's happening?" I shouted._

_She was not in my mind. But yet, I heard her speak. I knew one way to find out where she was. Well, at least if she was with me or not. I removed my headband from my waist and peered at my stomach. No black marks were there. Panic rose in my throat. If there were no marks from the seal, then there was no Tsume._

"My dear child! This is what I am! Turn around!" _I turned, and before me stood a hideous figure. It was Tsume alright, but not the majestic beast I had seen each time before. She was slightly large than she was, but she was a thinner creature, almost emaciated. Her Nine Tails thrashed about in a furious frenzy and her once glistening claws and teeth were now longer and sharper. She was still Tsume, still beautiful in a twisted way, yet she was not the Tsume I had known for so long. Not the majestic, beautiful, flawless Tsume._

_I could hear joy in her voice, maniacal joy. Yet I still spoke with her. "Tsume, what is happening? Why are they here? What have you become?"_

_She laughed with insanity. _"Oh, child, they are dead! Their souls have been removed, their spirits lost. All thanks to you! Ha, ha! You have helped me, you have obeyed me stupidly for years, and my requests have almost been filled! You've lived twelve years, and now I'm done with you. Oh, but you've served me so _well..._" _Using one of her long claws, she carressed my hair sweetly, as she had before. Then, it had provided comfort. Now, it only provided fear._

I sat up in bed, panting. Shichi was clawing at the bottom of my shirt, whining and crying out. Torayuki sat at the foot of my bed, and my toy Pukai was sitting on the other side of my pillow. Torayuki yawned and stretched, baring her tiger fangs. Shichi cried out louder and louder each time until it was almost shrill. "Shiiiiiiiiiii! Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" She shrieked. I softly pet her head, cooing to her like a baby. She calmed down.

"So, what was that all about?" Torayuki moaned. "You woke me up. Er, that stupid _thing _woke me up."

"Oh, Torayuki, be nice to Shichi. She's just scared...I, um, I had a bad dream, that's all." Torayuki didn't seem to believe me, but she kept silent. I didn't sleep the rest of the night.

--

_An incessant dripping noise rang in my ears. I was unable to see, due to the darkness. Wherever I was smelled -- quite literally -- like rotting flesh. I was standing, but I was unable to move._

_Once my eyes were adjusted to the darkness, my breath escaped me. _

_The room was similar to a meat locker, only it was warm. From metal hooks on the ceiling hung friends, Akatsuki members, and allies. They were all battered, bruised, and bleeding. Their eyes and mouths were sewn shut with metal wire and large nails pinned through their hands and into their shoulders made them look like mummies, with their hands crossed over one another. The stench was putrid and disgusting beyond all compared. Puddles of still-warm blood pooled on the ground below each cadaver. Panicked, I focused on Tsume. _

_The normal forest we shared as a mental space was still there, yet just disgusting as reality. Blood was spattered on the trees, Fur and flesh was smeared everywhere, the fireflies were all mere smudges of glowing substance on the trees, and Tsume's metal cage was torn to shreds. Worst of all, I saw one of Tsume's Nine Tails some distance off, another behind me hanging in a tree, and a third was torn in half on the ground. The remains were nowhere to be seen. _

I refused to open my eyes. Someone shook me gently. Hesitantly, I peered through one eye. The darkness of my room in the Akatsuki lair made it difficult to see, but I could clearly make out Tobi's bright orange mask.

"Tobi," I moaned, "What is it...?" I stretched, not even bothering to sit up.

"Deidara is calling you. He told me to tell you that he thinks 'you are one of the laziest damn Shinobi he's ever met.' He says that you're supposed to train today." I could tell by Tobi's words that Sensei was very angry, as he didn't normally cuss very much.

"Ohhh...I forgot. Darn it. Alright, Tobi, I'm getting up..." I swung my legs out of bed, and Tobi exited my room. I put on my outfit, then slipped my Akatsuki cloak over that. As winter was approaching the warmth of the Akatsuki cloaks helped quite a bit. I ran to the training area to find Sensei, and took his complaints. Despite that, the day went alright.


	21. Instigation of Hate 21

_**--Author's note--**I must apologize to all my readers. This chapter **WILL **be relatively longer than normal chapters in recompense for the forgotten missions and it skips back to before chapter 19, as I forgot to add a few missions. At this point, Sen is back from Otogakure and not dating anyone. She still does not remember who Shino is._

**Haruno Sakura...**

A few weeks after Sasuke left, Sakura, Naruto, and I were asked to go on a mission with someone named "Jiraiya." From the way I'd heard people speak about Master Jiraiya, he was one of the Sanin, like Lady Tsunade, and very strong. I looked forward to going on the mission. The bad part: Sakura was going with.

Now, really, I don't mind Sakura. I really actually feel bad for her: I mean, after all she did for Sasuke, he still left her. I can imagine she might be depressed. But...it's _her _that minds _me. _I don't know _what _it is that seems to make her hate me so much, but she does. I hardly spoke with her, and yet she gives me death-glares!

Sakura and I followed Naruto to where we would be meeting with Master Jiraiya to begin our mission. "Naruto, where's Master Jiraiya?" Sakura asked after a while.

I added, "Yeah, we don't wanna be late. If Master Jiraiya's a Sanin, he might be angry at our being late."

Naruto moaned. "What did I _tell _you guys?! You're both gonna regret calling him 'Master.'"

I stuck my tongue at him, but he didn't see it. Sakura giggled. "We can call him Master Jiraiya if we want, Naruto," she said, "After all, it would be impolite not to respect a _Sanin_."

"Eh, that old man doesn't _need _any respect." I wondered what Master Jiraiya might think of Naruto speaking about him like that. He wouldn't be very happy.

Eventually, Naruto stopped. We waited there for a while, before Naruto began to get excited. He started complaining about Master Jiraiya being late. He even sat down and started drawing in the dirt. Sakura just stood there idly and I made use of my time by using a nearby tree stump as target practice. There was a large boulder near the stump, and occasionally, a senbon would bounce off the rock and land near Sakura or Naruto.

"Jiraiya is here!" I heard a deep voice say. With one shuriken clutched between my fingers, I turned my head to one side, looking awkwardly over my own shoulder. A man stood on top of a taller stone. He had white hair that looked a little long. Red marks down his face looked like he was crying blood and a large scroll was strapped to his back. He had one hand out in a stance semi-similar to Lee kun's signature stance, but...different.

He jumped down from the top of the stone. Naruto said, "Oh, you're finally here, huh? It's about time. This is Sakura and Sen. Uh, hey, Pervy Sage? What's this mission for anyways?"

"Naruto!" Master Jiraiya clamped his hand over Naruto's mouth. He turned to Sakura and I and smiled. "Eh heh, hello, ladies. Just ignore my little buddy here, and let's get to our mission, shall we?" He whisper-yelled in Naruto's ear, "Naruto! Don't call me that! Especially in front of _young women._"

Then Master Jiraiya took a second look at me. His jaw dropped, in fear almost. He pointed at me. "Y-you! You're that girl that was with the Onbaa five years ago!"

A puzzled look spread across my face.

He shook his head. "Nevermind. Long story. Let's go!" He started walking with a large, idiotic grin spread across his face. Naruto grabbed the back of his shirt.

"Pervy Sage! What's this mission for?!" He asked Master Jiraiya again, angrily this time.

"I told you not to call me that, Naruto!"

"Master Jiraiya, we really should know before we start." Sakura's voice was unnaturally kind.

My eyes thinned and I spoke softly and menacingly. "I'm not going _anywhere _until I know where it is that I'm going. Got it?"

Master Jiraiya acquired a frightened expression, but calmed down. He beckoned all three of us to come within whispering distance. "Alright, I want you kids to keep this on the low, OK?"

"Why are you whispering?" Naruto yelled at the top of his lungs, just to be difficult.

"The trees have ears." I said. _Literally, they _do, I thought, thinking of my brother.

Master Jiraiya shuddered before continuing. "This mission is an S-ranked mission," all our jaws dropped, even mine, "and the mission is...to either retrieve Sasuke himself or retrieve information on Orochimaru," his name was said with poison, "and his hideout. Knowing Orochimaru, that old snake, he hid underground. I'm guessing it'll be booby-trapped. I hope you all came prepared." With that, he turned away and began to walk. We all stood behind him, no one moving, no one flinching. Master Jiraiya stopped without turning around and I could see that his fist was clenched. "Well...Are you coming or what?"

I was the first to run after him, then signalled for Naruto and Sakura to follow. I walked right beside Master Jiraiya, while the other two walked behind him. Master Jiraiya eventually stopped and asked, "Can anyone here summon anything?" I was the only one to raise my hand. "Good. What can you summon?"

"I can summon a baby tiger, some normal-sized tigers, a really big tiger, a baby panda, a really big panda, a really big bat, a few armies worth of little bats, or however many little bats are needed." I looked up at Master Jiraiya, hopeful my services were needed.

"We'll be needing those bats." Then Naruto raised his hand. Master Jiraiya sighed. "Yes, Naruto, what can you summon?"

"I can summon a tadpole!" He grinned. Master Jiraiya sighed again and continued walking.

I started asking him questions. I tried not to say _Lord _Orochimaru when I spoke. "Master Jiraiya, how do you know Orochimaru? I mean, other than the way everyone else knows him, as the one who tried to destroy Konoha."

Surprisingly, Master Jiraiya was open to me. "Orochimaru, Tsunade, and I are the Three Sanin of Konohagakure. We trained together under the Third Hokage."

"Oh...Um...Why did Orochimaru leave Konoha and what happened after that? Do you know?"

"Orochimaru was conceited. He wanted to live forever and he had an incredible lust for Jutsu. He used other peoples' bodies to sustain his own life. He did that through a Jutsu that transported his soul into a different body. Orochimaru killed many people for his own, selfish wants. Then, he tried to become Hokage. After being rejected, Orochimaru left The Village Hidden In The Leaves to continue his murderous habits. He joined an evil organization called the Akatsuki. Have you ever heard of them?" I shook my head, lying. "Anyway...he was eventually kicked out of the Akatsuki, too. I think it was because he tried to become leader of the Akatsuki, but I could be wrong. He started his own village and it was unannounced to us that he was the leader of such village until they attacked. His village is called Otogakure, or The Village Hidden In The Sound. That's where we're going."

"Otogakure," I feigned I had never heard that before. "Is that why he took Sasuke?" I asked suddenly, a real question forming on my lips. "I mean, to use his body? Is he going to _become _Sasuke?"

"He enticed Sasuke with fake promises of power. Yes, in three years, he's going to extract his soul from his current body and put himself into Sasuke's body."

"What's going to happen to Sasuke?"

"His hopes, dreams, mentality, personality, and everything but his body will cease to exist. It'll be like he never existed."

I think Sakura and I both had the same expression of horror. "What about...what about his Cursed Mark? Why did Orochimaru give him his Cursed Mark?" I hoped mine was concealed. If Master Jiraiya were to just look down at me, he might see it, he might know that most of my questions were for sake of liable noise.

"He gave him his Cursed Mark to entice him further. To seem to justify those claims of power. Also, to mark him. So Orochimaru wouldn't forget. You wanna known something?" I nodded. "Do you know Anko Mitarashi?" I smiled and nodded again. Anko was one of my friends, since the Chunin Exams. "She has a Cursed Mark, too. She trained under Orochimaru, and he gave her a Cursed Mark. You know...I think I heard that there was another girl who has a Cursed Mark in Konoha...I think she went to Orochimaru and came back. Was she from Kusagakure...? Hey, do you-"

"What about Hokages?" I asked suddenly, to prevent him from knowing who I was. "How many have there been? Who were they? What happened to them?"

Master Jiraiya smiled and looked up at the sky. He seemed to be remembering something pleasant. "You ask a whole lotta questions, don't'cha, kid? Reminds me of someone else...But...anyway, all of the Hokages have been related in some way. There was the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, who died in battle. When that happened, his younger brother, Tobirama Senju, became the Second Hokage. He died in a battle, too, and passed on title of Third Hokages to his student, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who trained Tsunade, Orochimaru, and I. It should have been one of us who became Fourth Hokage, but instead, it was...someone else. One of my students. He died when the Nine-Tailed Fox was sealed. Then Sarutobi sensei took control again and, after he died, Tsunade."

"Hashirama, Tobirama, Hiruzen, and Tsunade...What was the Fourth Hokage's name?"

Master Jiraiya seemed frightened by my innocent-enough question. "I...uh, I...can't tell you that. Uh, hey! I've never been to the Hidden Grass, why don't you tell me some of their history?" He grinned, trying to look innocent. I ignored the fact that he was prevaricating.

"Well, about three years before I was born, the people of my village decided we needed a leader of peace, so they chose the First Raimeikage. He's our unofficial leader and he's responsible for keeping peace in the village. Otherwise, we have our official leader, which is our Daimyo. Did you know that we're the smallest Shinobi Village and the only one whose leader is a Daimyo?"

"No, I didn't actually." Master Jiraiya's prevaricating had actually taught him something!

Naruto moaned, "Are you two _ever _going to shut up?! If I didn't know better, I'd say you two are long-lost-lovers or somethin'."

Master Jiraiya turned around, furious. "Naruto! I'm not that bad!"

"Oh, shut up, Pervy Sage! Yes, you are!"

I looked at Naruto and smiled. "Naruto san, 'shut' doesn't go up." He gave me an irritated, shocked look and moaned in complaint. He folded his arms and looked away. Sakura smiled faintly.

After a while, we stopped to rest. Sakura sat away from Naruto and Master Jiraiya as they argued, bickered, and yelled at one another. I walked over to her. Through the darkness of an early evening, I could barely make out the shape of her face lined by her pink hair. I could tell she was crying, though, and she looked up at me.

She tried to talk tough. "What do _you _want?" Her voice betrayed her and she only sounded more scared and more upset.

I smiled at her. "Haruno Sakura, I know you hate me, and I know that we won't ever be best friends. But, on this mission, we share a common interest: Bringing Sasuke home. So now, I must ask if you would mind calling a truce with me," I held my hand out to her, "for Sasuke?" I tried to smile as pleasantly as I could.

She looked up at me, almost in awe. Her tears dried quickly and she smiled. Grabbing on to my hand, she said, "For Sasuke. But this won't last forever, I promise. I think I'll say when we don't need a truce any more."

"Understood. I-"

"Hey, are you two gonna come eat or are you just going to stay over there and whisper your heads off?" Master Jiraiya asked. He was illuminated from the light of a fire that he had Naruto had painstakingly made, through many, many arguements. I looked at Sakura again and smiled before I began to walk back to Master Jiraiya and Naruto. The only thing Master Jiraiya had brought for us to eat were rice cakes (which I must say, eating bark was better than that) and water. I ate very little, but I did find some herbs to make a tea out of. My taste buds craved blood, but I couldn't have any. I certainly wasn't about to hurt Sakura, Naruto, or Master Jiraiya just for blood. I thought about sneaking off later and getting blood out of one of the wounds under my bandages.

No one spoke for the rest of the night. Everyone fell asleep but me. I stayed up keep watch. Who knows what my brother might do if he found me on this mission.

--

"Naruto, Master Jiraiya, you two will have to leave. Sen, you're a girl. You can stay here." Sakura said. We were in a strange, empty building. Naruto had rescued a girl. She had orange hair, which reminded me oddly of Leader, only it was longer.

"What?!" Naruto protested, oblivious. "Why do I have to leave and _she _gets to stay?!"

"Just _go,_Naruto!" Sakura shouted. With some mumbling and under-his-breath-complaints, Naruto left the small building and sat outside on the steps. I helped Sakura to tend to the girl's wounds. "I wonder what her name is?"

"_I _wonder what she was doing fighting those three big guys. A girl like her doesn't look like she could take on one of them. They look like they would need Lady _Tsunade_ to take _them_down." I helped Sakura get bandages on her. Then, Sakura looked toward the door.

Suddenly, Sakura threw her fist through the door and the wood split open. I heard Naruto cry out in pain and there were thumping noises, as though he were falling down the stairs. "That'll do." Sakura said as she continued her job.

Then I heard Naruto shouting something about spiders (then I couldn't help but think of Kidomaru) and the three men. Wanting Sakura to dress the girl's wounds as quickly as possible, I rushed to the door was horrified to see that, yes, the three men were attacking us. "Sakura," I said, turning to her, "Hurry and dress her wounds. They're here. I'll fight, but you hurry, OK? We don't need a possible ally dead."

She nodded. "Got it." With that, I went out the door.

I shouted at Naruto, "Where the hell's Master Jiraiya?!"

"How should I know?! Do I look like his maid?!"

Spiders were falling on us rapidly. Naruto tried his best to keep them away with a kunai. I bit my thumb to draw blood (savoring the taste in my mouth) and pressed it into the ground. "Summoning Jutsu! I hope you're hungry, Shin'en!" I heard screeching noises and the sound of wings flapping. Despite the ranks of the Shin'en, they were only able to slightly thin out the crowd. There were still too many for them, and Naruto and I had to fight many of them back. Finally, Master Jiraiya appeared and helped us fight. One of the men turned out to actually be a woman. She left with her fallen comrades. We then went back into the old building.

To my surprise, the girl was sitting up. She looked very sad. Master Jiraiya and Naruto closed the door behind them. The poor girl seemed frightened by Master Jiraiya when he asked, "Alright, first question: Who are you and what are you doing here?"

I bit my bottom lip and looked at Master Jiraiya. "Um...Master Jiraiya, I don't think that's the way to do it."

"OK, how would _you _do it?" He crossed his arms. I knelt down in front of the orange-haired girl and smiled another fake smile.

"Hello, my name is Sen. These are my friends, Sakura and Naruto. That's Master Jiraiya. What's your name?"

She seemed to relax when I spoke to her. "My name is Sasame Fuma."

I smiled again. "That's a pretty name. But what were you doing fighting those three Ninja? They looked like awfully skilled Shinobi, even compared to Master Jiraiya." That wasn't true, but I was trying to make her feel better. I certainly hope it worked.

And so Sasame told us about the Fuma clan, about her cousin Arashi and what Lord Orochimaru had done to him. Apparently, Lord Orochimaru had given him the ability to absorb his fallen comrades in order to make him stronger. He was the leader of the Fuma clan and the most talented. Sasame also told us about the three Shinobi she was fighting. She said their names were Jigumo Fuma (the one who could control spiders), Kamikiri Fuma (the one with the big scissor-blade), and Kagero Fuma (the woman).

--

"Sen, can you summon those bats now?"

"How many, Master Jiraiya?"

"Eh, three or four." Master Jiraiya shrugged. I summoned three of the Shin'en and Master Jiraiya summoned something, too. It was a little orange toad.

The toad waved a webbed foot and said, "Hiya! I'm Gamakichi!" Sakura screamed and hid behind Naruto.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" I asked.

"I...hate...toads! They give me the creeps..." She shivered. I laughed and picked up the toad - Gamakichi. It was so cute!

"Yo, Jiraiya! Give me a hand here," it said, "This girl scares me!" I made a face and put the toad down. Master Jiraiya just laughed. He told us that Naruto, Sakura, and I would be going together, and he alone. And so we went. Gamakichi came with the three of us and my Shin'en led the way. Several times, Naruto fell into traps that were undetected by the Shin'en and Sakura and I thought he was dead. We eventually came to a room, a familiar room. There were several pillars inside the room and the only light was a faint red glow. This was the room in which Lord Orochimaru would watch Sakon and I train if it was too cold outside. Despite the fact of how much this room had provided a sense of safety and security from being alone with Sakon, there was danger in this room, and it was closer than I thought.

"Well, well, Sen...I never thought I'd be seeing you again after you left. Do you know how much Sakon misses you?" Naruto and I turned at the same time to see a figure stepping out of the shadows.

In unison, Naruto and I shouted, "Kabuto, you traitorous filth!" We each had different reasons for calling him 'traitorous filth,' but as far as Naruto knew, I wasn't calling him a traitor for betraying the Akatsuki.

Kabuto chuckled, his glasses glinting in the faint light. "Wow...Now I know I've got friends...I can feel the _love _circulating in this room." Kabuto's dry sarcasm and faceitious jokes always irritated me. We ended up having to fight Kabuto.

He was laying against the wall. Using a MedicNin technique, he reached into his own chest and pulled out his heart. The Chakra threads around it pulsated sickly in tune with his heart. The worst part: the Chakra threads ran from Kabuto's heart all the way into Naruto's chest and around his heart. "All I have to do," Kabuto coughed blood, "is give this a gentle squeeze, and we both die, Naruto...Let's count down together," he coughed once more, "shall we? Ten, nine, eight..." Sakura tried in vain to cut the threads. "Seven, six..."

Sasame (when had she come?) told Sakura to put a seal around her kunai. "Five, four," Sakura sawed at the threads, "three, two, one," _snap. _The threads broke right when Kabuto squeezed his heart. Naruto fell limp to the ground. Then, Kabuto wasn't Kabuto. Kabuto was Kagero. Kagero had transformed herself into Kabuto! Sasame raced to her, screaming and crying.

Sakura and I were a little more preoccupied with Naruto. Both of us crying, we shook him, poked him, and tried in vain to wake him up. Nothing worked. Finally, we inaduibly declared him dead. We folded our arms over his chest, sobbing.

And then came the irritating voice.

"Ah, nothin' like the touch of two beautiful women to really get the life flowin' through you..." Sakura and I sat up, and saw Naruto blushing bright red. We both began yelling at him.

"Naruto, you scum! How dare you!" Sakura yelled.

"Naruto, we were scared! That's not funny! We thought you were dead!" I looked at him, half angry, half glad he was still alive.

"Sasame," I heard Kagero whisper, "Beware of your cousin...Arashi has _changed." _With that, she breathed her last. Then, we had to fight Arashi. He was strong, and I mean _strong. _Sasame ended the battle by hugging him, and the beast he had been changed back to the calm man he had been before. Arashi told Sasame that he had to stay there or he would die. He smiled, his bravery obvious. We had to literally drag Sasame out. Arashi was simply smiling, waving goodbye to his cousin.

We still don't know if he died, but we didn't see him after that part of the lair collapsed.

**Konan's Wish**

Zetsu sighed. "Why the hell are you looking at me like that, with those huge eyes?" I shrugged and looked away. "You want something don't you?" I looked at my brother. He sighed again. "What? What the hell do you want?"

"Um...well..."

"Out with it!"

"Yes, Brother...You see, I know that you have told me I should not have friends other than Yurei and Kaarayomiihi but..." Zetsu's eyes thinned. I rubbed my arm nervously. "There is this _girl, _in Konohagakure, and...well...I promise, I do not count her as a _friend,_ persay, but more like...an ally, if you will? I would like for her to come...to the Akatsuki lair, just to see where I live, who I live with?" Despite the warm fire in the Akatsuki living room, the room suddenly grew very cold.

"Damn it, girl! What is it I've told you? No more friends! Fine, she can come, but I don't want to see her damn face or she won't have one when she leaves, got it?" I smiled and nodded.

"Thank you, Brother."

"Go to the library or your room or something. You make me sick."

--

A few weeks later, I had Amaya come to the real Akatsuki lair. I had chosen that particular time because Zetsu was on a mission then, and he couldn't hurt her when he wasn't there.

Amaya and I sat in my room. "Do you like my room? I decorated it myself." She nodded awkwardly. Mice squeaked in their cages and I heard one of the snakes hissing. I couldn't help but wonder what Amaya's reaction was to seeing all of the animals in cages on shelves all over the walls.

"Yeah...it's...nice." I smiled.

"Would you like to see Ame?"

"Who?"

"Ame. Oh, she's so pretty! Here, let me get her out." I opened the cage nearest my bed and clicked my tongue. I blocked the cage so Amaya couldn't see when the ice-blue snake slithered away from the warmth of the light. I pulled her out lightly, watching her red eyes dart around the room. Her blue skin sparkled in the light and her dark blue tongue flitted out between her fangs.

Amaya screamed and I frowned. "What's wrong?" I asked as Ame curiously curled herself around my neck and into my hair.

"It's...a _snake_!"

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"

"I don't like snakes!"

"Oh...here, I'll put her up." I kissed Ame on the top of the head. Her only reaction was blinking and sticking her tongue out. I placed her back in the cage and then heard Konan's voice calling my name.

I put the lid back on Ame's cage tightly and raced to the large stone door, and strained to open. Konan smiled. "Sen, can I speak with your friend for a moment?"

"Oh, sure, Konan..." I whispered to her, "Just don't kill her or, if my brother comes back, don't let him see her."

I told Amaya that Konan wanted to talk to her and let them go out into the hall. I closed the door behind them. Sitting on my bed, I began to wonder...What was Konan saying? I snuck over to the door and pressed my ear against it. The words were faint and hardly audible, but I caught Konan right in the middle of a sentence.

"...help her, please. Teach her wrong from right. I'm afraid none of us can do that. She's just an angel with broken wings...and I'm afraid we can't fix that. None of these things that happen are her fault. Yurei's version of 'wrong from right' is that you can kill someone if you don't like them, you can kill someone if you do like them, and you can still kill someone if you don't care about them. She has incredible skills, but I'm afraid that only the patience and kindness of a Leaf Shinobi can bring those out of her. If you were to help her, guide her, she will show you what she can do, the things she's capable of...please, just, please, make Sen understand that she is not an evil person, that's not who she is supposed to be. Can you promise me that?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'll try my best."

"Oh, thank you so much."

Then a third voice came louder, "Sen, it's time for your friend to leave! Zetsu will be back soon!" That voice was Kisame's, or as I called him, Otosan. Otosan meant 'father,' and Kisame was very much a father figure to me. He was one of members that treated me kindly, one of the few.

And so, I said my goodbyes to Amaya, and she seemed glad to leave.

**Where Natsushiboshi is Sang**

"This jerk's an enemey - he tried to attack me!" Naruto shouted.

Smiling, I turned to the person behind me. He was still wearing his gas-mask. "Are you OK, Sumaru?" Lee kun, Ten Ten, and Neji stood beside me, all of us in front of Sumaru. Sumaru removed his mask. I couldn't help but think what pretty red eyes he had. His black hair was tied back in his customary braid.

"So...you're from the Village Hidden In The Leaves, huh?" Naruto asked Sumaru if he was from the Hidden Star, despite the Star headband that adorned his forehead.

"No, Naruto," I said rudely, "he's from the Leaf, too!" Naruto glared at me.

"Who asked you?"

"Nobody! So I thought I'd insert myself into the conversation!" I folded my arms and looked at Naruto.

He retorted, "You didn't have to!"

I smirked. "_You're _not even supposed to be _on _this mission!"

"Yeah, so?! What's that got to do with anything!?"

"You should be grateful that Sumaru saved you!"

"Saved me!? How the heck did he _save _me?! He attacked me!"

"No, he didn't!"

"Then why did he shoot arrows at me?!"

"To stop you from going into the canyon!"

"What's so wrong about the-"

"Naruto, look there," Neji said, pointing to a bird flying overhead the canyon. It dipped and faltered in its flight pattern. Then, it fell into the yellow gas, dead. Naruto's eye twitched.

Lee kun said, "Look, Naruto! Sumaru truly saved your life! It looks like this is the beginning of a beautiful alliance between Leaf and Star!" He laughed at his own joke. I mustered up a smile to make him feel better. Sumaru said that he could've let him go into the fog and watched him die. I think Sumaru just had a soft spot for other Shinobi!

"So, Sumaru," I turned to him. He was slightly taller than me, but Lee kun was taller than him. He smield at me. "Why _did _you come?"

"I've been ordered by the Hoshikage himself to escort a group of four from the Leaf Village. I guess it's changed to five." We followed Sumaru back to the Village Hidden Among the Stars and straight to the Hoshikage's office. There, the Hoshikage explained to us about the Hoshikage's role and why they had a kage, even though they were not one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries. He told us that they were going to eventually be a Great Country, too, The Sixth Great Shinobi Country. Maybe Kusa might end up the Seventh? He told Sumaru return to his training. Naruto followed him.

A moment or so later, I stood up. "Please, excuse me, sir." I followed the two boys, barefoot, up one of the paths. I tried not to make a noise so that they wouldn't hear me. I listened to their conversations of kages and falling stars. Finally, the two of them stopped where the path made a sharp ramp up. I stood behind a tree that was perhaps a little too close.

"You know," I heard Sumaru say to Naruto, "You're pretty weird."

I heard Naruto laughing. "Yep, you got that right! But if you think I'm weird, you should see Sen!"

"Actually, I think she's pretty-"

Then I caught what Naruto had said. "Naruto Uzumaki!" I turned and shouted without thinking. Realizing what I had done, I turned back, attempting to hide once more, with my hand over my mouth. Then, Sumaru peeked around the tree, his face a literal half-inch away from mine. I'm sure I looked liek Hinata around Naruto at that point. I blushed bright red and I could hear Naruto laughing.

Then, I followed the boys, not sneaking as they knew I was there, to the Star Village training facility. Naruto asked to see the star, and Sumaru strongly rejected. But then, we saw someone running away from the facility, the star in tow. I was going to follow Naruto, but I heard someone say my name. I turned, and saw a familar shape coming out of the ground. My brother.

"We need to go. You can finish this mission later or make an excuse. Pein wants us back for an update, and I'm sure as hell not going to keep him waiting. Let's go."

"Yes, Brother." I said quietly. I hope Sumaru, Lee kun, Ten Ten, Neji, and Naruto wouldn't be mad at me for leaving. My brother and I left hastily, and while we ran, I had to tell him everything that had been going on in the past few days.

Eventually, I found out that Sumaru's mother and father weren't dead, but, infact, it was his mother who had stolen the star. The Hoshikage was the bad person. Sumaru's mother used to sing him the same lullaby that my foster father, Kei, had sung to me: Natsushiboshi. Tsume then made a point about remembering Kei telling me that Natsushiboshi had been sung in other villages than just by him. I really wish I had been able to continue my mission with my team, Naruto, and Sumaru, but I had other things happening. I did, however, get to say goodbye to Sumaru before the mission was over. I wasn't able to battle anyone.

There had also been a mission in which my team went on and, as they told me, they met an old woman who made something called the "Curry of Life" which had almost killed Neji, but Lee kun loved it. They had run into a little boy with purple hair named "Ranmaru." Ranmaru had a Kekkei Genkai that allowed him to see through walls, confuse the human phsyche, and even cause problems with Neji's Byakugan. Ranmaru was paralyzed and could not move his legs. He ate the Curry of Life and gained the ability to walk. He was apprenticed into the Curry Shop, but was adopted by Kaede (and Gaara - as the two were then dating). I figured I would meet him sooner or later.

**Help From Forsaken Allies**

I was sitting at the edge of the Forest of Death, yet still inside the village. I watched idly as people hustled and bustled back and forth. Shichi slept beside me, occasionally moaning and kicking me. The bench I was sitting on was old. Then I heard a voice even more irritating than Naruto's voice.

"Hey, you! You're that girl who broke up with Sasuke sama, aren't you?" I looked aup and saw three girls my age. They were not Shinobi, and they looked _very_ irritated. The one that had spoken was wearing an orange shirt with a pink hoodie and blue shorts. I couldn't help but wonder if she was colorblind. She had bright orange hair and freckles across the bridge of her nose. Another was wearing a pale purple dress that went down to her knees and she had black hair. The other was wearing a white shirt with a red skirt and she had blonde hair. The one I figured was colorblind had her arms crossed and was looking at me smugly.

"Um...yes...why?"

"I'll bet you're the reason he left! I heard you cheated on him! Poor Sasuke sama...if he had been going out with _me, _I wouldn't have cheated on him. He'd still be here." She smiled as though she had accomplished something, the popped her knuckles. "I don't like what you did to Sasuke sama. I'm gonna make sure you never do that again." She advanced slowly, cracking her knuckles the whole way.

"Enough." I heard a voice say as the girl raised her fist to hit me. I turned around and saw someone familiar standing on the high branch of a tree. Oh, darn it! Every time I saw him, I never did remember his name! He was wearing a blue-ish grey jacket with a higher collar and black glasses. His hands were stuffed in his pockets.

"I'll bet you're the one that she cheated on Sasuke sama with!" She pointed to the boy. Aburame...Aburame _something. _Oh, dear, why could I never remember this?! "I'll hurt both of you, to teach you a lesson!"

"You think you can go up against two Shinobi? Think again." His voice was a low moan, and he was obviously irritated. "Leave, now."

"Or _what_?!" She challenged him.

"Or _this._ Parasitic Insects, attack." He held his hand out towards the girl, and thousands of tiny black beetles flew out of his sleeve and swarmed around all three of them. They began screaming and swatting at the Insects.

"Never mind!" The girl shouted. "Let's get out of here!" She and her cohorts ran, swatting and screaming even after the Insects had returned to the sleeve of his jacket.

"Are you OK?" He jumped down from the tree and walked towards me. I blushed.

"Um...yeah...I'll be fine...Th-thanks for...h-helping me...That was..r-really nice of you."

"Sure, why not? I don't like girls like that anyway. They get irritating."

I giggled half way. "Heh, yeah...they do..."


	22. Instigation of Hate 22 Stone of Gelel

_**--Author's note-- **This, now, goes right after chapter 20. Sen is dating Shino. I apologize once more for forgetting those missions._

**Betrayed By A Master**

A Ninja's life is that of betrayal, romance, violence, and unspeakable dangers. You never know what second you might die, or what second you might fall in love. Sometimes, you get so busy with missions, you don't even remember what it was you had for breakfast that morning, or if you even ate. There are good Shinobi...and bad Shinobi. Everyone's idea of good and bad is something different. You never know what is wrong or right until you see it through someone else's eyes. When a great leader dies in battle, it is the end of that Shinobi's life, but it also the beginning of something much greater, often times a wonderful regime in that country, as they sacrificed their life for the sake of their country. There are some, however, that have incredible avarice, bloodlust, and murderous impulses and they would never sacrifice their life for anything, not even their best friends. Things are never just black and white. Most of the time, it contains red, blood red, too...

These are the things that my teacher used to tell me, after I finished training with Tsuba and Midori. I never took that wonderfully wise old man very seriously, but after I was sent out into the world by myself, I took his words into deep consideration. I was able to empathasize with people easily, and my brother mocked me for being so soft-hearted. He hated it and said that if my heart didn't harden or freeze soon, he was going to cut it out and stick it in a freezer to _make _it freeze. It was these threats that made me realize what a horrible place the world was, but I never knew that there were other people like me out there somewhere...

--

"I got it!" I shouted as I pounced to catch it. I landed on the soft green grass lightly, but the little brown figure had seen me too soon. It leaped out of my way and bounded farther. "Oh, drat...Catch it, Naruto!"

"I got it, I got it!" He moaned as he raced after the little brown thing. "Stupid cat!" He shouted. I tapped my fingers in the dirt as I lay there, hoping Naruto might chase it into the contraption Shikamaru had put together. As Sakura and Shikamaru came out of the woods behind me, I sat up and we all dashed to follow Naruto.

He had chased the little rodent into Shikamaru's trap and it was stuck there. Naruto grinned as we came closer. "Ha ha! Stupid cat! I can't believe it fell for the oldest trick in the book! Let's see that stupid thing..." Naruto began to lift the lid to the trap.

Sakura, Shikamaru, and I all said in unison, "Naruto, don't!" But it was too late. The long-bodied furry thing jumped on Naruto and clawed at his face. Perpetually blinded by the onslaught of claws, he began staggering in random directions, yelling. He then found Shikamaru's _second _trap on accident.

He stepped right into the circle and - _whoosh - _he was brought up in the air. We all cringed. He was hanging by one foot. His face was laden with red scratch marks and the brown creature was biting his cheek, hanging off of his skin. My eyes grew wide as Shikamaru and Sakura began to laugh. Naruto moaned.

"Naruto san, are you OK?" I rushed over to him. "Ohhhh, let me help you..." I stroked the brown creature lightly that was hanging from his cheek. Captivated by soft treatment, the little animal let go. "Here, Sakura, put it in the pack." I dropped it in the bag she was holding and focused on getting Naruto down. As I was working on undoing the knot, the old rope snapped and Naruto dropped on his face.

"Ish..ish na...ma da," Naruto said, meaning 'This...is not...my day.' He was muffled due to the fact that he had a mouthful of grass and dirt. I smiled, and couldn't help but giggle a little bit. Sitting up, he spit out the dirt and grass.

I couldn't help it: "Did that taste good, Naruto?" He glared at me, but broke out laughing.

"Stupid cat!" He said again.

Sakura corrected him, "It's not a cat, Naruto, it's a ferret." Curious, I pet the 'ferret' on the head and it acted just like a cat, closing its eyes and leaning slightly towards me.

"Part one of our mission complete," Shikamaru said, "Now we have to take him to that other Land."

"Well, we'd better go," I said. And we set off.

--

Shikamaru and I landed right next to each on the branch. We were stunned by what we saw. The area was in ruin, and the dirt was furrowed in large holes. Shikamaru tried to use his earpiece to contact the others, but was interrupted by a scream in both of our ears.

I spoke into mine, "Sakura, Naruto, are you guys OK?"

I heard Sakura say, "We've got company over here!"

"We're on our way," Shikamaru said. We raced as fast as we could through the trees, and I eventually got ahead of him. I came in to see the steel-men they were fighting. One of them wordlessly challenged me.

I hit it as fast as I could, repetitive blows being struck. Not one of them made a single dent. It pushed me back with ease, and I went skidding in the dirt. "Alright, I guess I'll to resort to something else..." I did a few hands signs. "Light Style Secret Jutsu: Taijutsu of The Gods!" I didn't hesitated to let the Chakra flow around my hands. Putting my hands in the same form the Hyugas used for their Gentle Fist Techinique, I hit the steel-man faster. This time, every hit I made impacted with a loud _thud _and dented the armor severely. I hit it with all my might, and it was the one to go skidding into the dirt this time. I threw a paper bomb attatched to a kunai like Sakura had and watched the armor blow up into little pieces. What had that thing been? A man made of metal? I turned around and saw that Naruto had been successful against his opponent, too, but the smoke was clearing to reveal another, thinner one in white armor.

Hair as blonde as Naruto's adorned its shoulders, and I knew this one had to be alive, unlike its cohorts. You could almost see through the helmet, but it was tinted and you couldn't see all the way through it. It raised its right arm and gave Naruto a thumbs-down. Naruto scowled at it, and tried to attack it, but it only resulted in his clones being pummeled. The real Naruto came out of the ground, like he had against Neji, and tried to punch it in the face - if it had one. With incredibly human reflexes, it lurched backwards and kicked Naruto. I attempted to attack while it had its back turned. It barely turned around, but it punched me in the stomach, and I got the wind knocked out of me. Naruto gritted his teeth.

Blood trickled out of its mouth and, at that point, I knew we were fighting a human. No metal-man could possibly have real human blood. Naruto ran and threw shuriken, and tried to kick the human, but they blocked each attack. We heard Sakura scream, and we both went running. Except, the one in white armor tried to attack Naruto. Naruto blocked, and we saw that another of the metal-men had Sakura by the arms. She was kicking it in the stomach and yelling at it. Had it not been such a drastic situation, I would have laughed. Naruto scolded the white-armored-human once more, and the metal-man attacked the white-armored-human. Then, we saw Shikamaru using his Shadow Possession Jutsu up in a tree: Sakura was safe. Shikamaru said he would take care of the metal-man.

"Got it," Naruto said. "I don't know who you are, but I'm taking you all out! Multi Shadow-Clone Jutsu! You ready help, Sen?"

Stretching out my fingers to display my growing and sharpening nails, I smiled maliciously. Tsume was hungry and ready to fight, so I left her take over. Purple Chakra rose around me, but not as much as normal. I couldn't gauge my opponent quite yet. "Oh, yeah, Naruto...I've been waiting for a while now..." I purred in Tsume's sadistic tone.

We all attacked at once. Our opponent had increased the length of their sword and it was now glowing with what looked like turquoise Chakra. Over half of the clones were knocked out with one sweep of the sword. I blocked, expecting an attempted blow to the face but was instead hit in the stomach again. It hurt worse this time, and I fell. I accidentally knocked over a clone and made it disappear. Clones tried to hit the white-armored-human, but something was making them disappear. It was like an invisible force field almost.

And so came the Rasengan. The good ol' Rasengan.

I heard our opponent's voice for the first time, then, and I kenw it was male. "Rising Thunder!" He shouted. It was undiscernable what he really sounded like, as he was shouting and my ears were ringing from being punched back so hard. I could see out of only one eye, and the other was closed in a cringe of pain.

Then, as the Rasengan and Rising Thunder clashed, the cliff they were on collapsed. I reached to grab the ferret's pack, but the ground beneath me crumbled away. My hand grasped the bag, and I held it close to my chest as I fell, feeling the ferret's warmth in my arms. The three of us fell together, but I kept my eyes closed. I couldn't help but think of a saying, then, another one my wise old teacher had told me. Many people had redone, resaid, but none said it quite as well as he did.

_"Remember, little one, if you ever begin to fall, no matter how far you may be falling, Shinobi never give up. Even when you see the rock-hard bottom, don't give up. Anything could happen within those few seconds. Who knows," _his kind, old laughter rang in my ears, _"you might land on a bed of cushions!" _I smiled as I fell, but felt a sharp impact on the back of my head, and then, my world went black once more.

--

I opened my eyes to see Naruto's arm. I was curled up on my right side, beneath a blanket. There were bandages all over my body and wrapped around my chest, and my shirt was folded up neatly beside my pillow. Naruto was still not awake. I felt a small warmth by my stomach and peered under the blanket to the little red-eyed ferret curled up beside me. I smiled faintly.

I rubbed my eyes and took in my surroundings. There were people scattered about, tending to their own business. We were under a tent, and outside of the tent was a small fire. An old man sat there. He had a long, pointed grey beard and squinting eyes. He wore a completely green outfit and was poking and prodding the fire with a long stick. I rubbed my eyes again.

"I'd be careful if I were you, young one. You don't want to hurt yourself again, now do you? You got hit pretty bad a few times. You have a bad wound to your head and a large bruise on your stomach." The old man smiled at me.

"Where...where am I?" I asked quietly.

"Oh, you're with our caravan. You and your buddies were falling off a cliff and sort of just landed with us! So, we gave you all medical attention and wrapped all your bandages. Those are some nasty scars on your arms, young one. Makes an old man wonder what you were all doing out there...Come, come, why don't you sit by the fire and get warm?" I accepted the old man's invitation and sat with him by the fire. I'll admit, I didn't have a shirt on, but I had bandages wrapped from about an inch below my collarbone all the way down to my waist, so I think I was OK. The ferret followed me and sat on my lap. The old man smiled. "I see Neragui has taken a liking to you and your friend with the long hair."

"Neragui...?" I asked.

The old man seemed to fidget a little. "Um...can I ask a question without offending you?"

I smiled. "Of course, sir."

He whispered, "Are you a boy or a girl?"

I felt like laughing, but only smiled sweetly. "I'm a girl," I answered.

He smiled awkwardly. "And what's your name?"

"Sen, or Senari, if you prefer. Over there...that's my friend: Naruto." I pointed without looking.

"My name is Kahiko, and I'm the elder of the caravan you see before you. Eh, what's the other boy's name?" He glanced over at Naruto.

"The other boy...?" I asked. I was fairly certain Shikamaru had not fallen with us, and who in their right mind could mistake Sakura for a boy? Tsume laughed when I thought of that. I looked towards where I had been laying. I saw Naruto, to the left of where I had been, and then, I saw 'the other boy' to the right of where I had been. I then realized that 'the other boy' was the one Naruto and I had fought! I almost screamed. He did have long, blonde hair, but it was slightly fairer than Naruto's. "I...I don't know him...he...he attacked Naruto and I, along with our other two friends, but...he's...he doesn't like us."

Kahiko frowned. "We can't just leave him to die. He may have attacked you, but he's done nothing to us."

"Yes, sir, I understand. I would not ask someone to leave a stranger to die." Kahiko nodded and went back behind a curtain to finish doing something. I could see his silhouette and he was stirring something. I stared idly into the fire, my hand moving up and down Neragui's back. He seemed to almost purr, but I didn't know if a ferret could purr.

Then I heard a familar scream and turned to see Naruto sitting up and dramatically pretending he was in pain. Then, he stopped, blinking, and made sure he was OK. He noticed the other boy laying across from him and I watched as his eyes grew wide.

"Now that you're awake, I would suggest you try not to move too much," Kahiko said. "I didn't expect you to wake up for at least another day or two. You're Naruto, right?" He sat up and walked to Naruto.

"So wait, Gramps, who're you?" Naruto asked, insultingly rude like always. That's the only way I could tell he was one hundred percent healthy.

Kahiko introduced himself - and Neragui. Without noticing me, Naruto started to look around frantically. "I know she fell with us...Where is - Ohhh! There you are! Hello!" He waved idiotically at me as though he'd never seen me before in his life, a large grin spread across his face. I smiled, giggled, and waved back slightly. "I didn't know where you were! How long have you been up?"

"About a half an hour," I said quietly, returning my gaze to the fire. Neragui yawned and curled up closer to me. Naruto turned around and let Kahiko put an ointment on his wounds. All the while, Kahiko explained the nature of the caravan to him. Then, just as Kahiko was explaining our fortune, Naruto stood up suddenly.

"Hey! It's _you! _You're the one who attacked us!" He pointed to the boy. His eyes shot open immediately. They reminded me somewhat of Sasuke's, somewhat of Sumaru's. They were completely red, except for a neat black pupil in the very center. He had something like a little black scar on the side of each of his eyes, or maybe it was natural. He glared at Naruto silently. Naruto glared back, his finger shaking in, as I called it, 'Naruto's funny rage.' (There was a difference between Naruto's rages, trust me.)

Kahiko smiled. "Oh look, he's regained consciousness just like the two of you."

The blonde haired boy tried to sit up, but recoiled in pain. I couldn't help but stare at him, half of me feeling bad for him, half of me curious about him.

_Curiousity killed the cat, my dear..._Tsume purred.

_In your case, it may be 'curiousity killed the tiger,' _I retorted.

_Oh, there is no need for that, is there, precious? _

_I'm sorry, Tsume..._

Naruto shouted at him, angered and enraged, but still in his 'funny rage state.'

"Um...Naruto san..." I said quietly, but was somehow still heard over his angry words. "Look at him, he's in pain...you shouldn't yell."

"I don't _care _if he's in pain!"

"Naruto," I said flatly, "He's in _pain, _don't you get it? Let him be."

Kahiko laughed. "I'm so glad you've got your energy back, sonny!" He slapped him lightly on the back playfully, but Naruto still screamed. "Let's not have any fighting, shall we? We _are _traveling together, you know."

"Yeah, but he -" Naruto protested.

"Tut, tut, tut. None of that. Sen _already _told me." Kahiko shook his head slowly. I took a sharp intake of breath when Neragui suddenly jumped off my lap and over to the blonde-haired-stranger. Everyone watched. Neragui went under the covers of his blanket. He peeked his head out and looked at Naruto.

"Hey, wait..." Naruto said. "It's you! I should just...Gr..."

"Aw, c'mon, now, Naruto! Let's have no hate for any creature. Why don't you come and sit with Sen and I by the fire?" Kahiko invited.

"Come on, Naruto. I don't bite," I said with a smile, "much." I offered him a seat next to me. He blushed slightly, looking down.

"Uh, Sen," he said, "last time I checked, you were a girl." He didn't look up.

I frowned. "So? Are you sexist now, Naruto?"

"Well...you...you're not...you're not wearing a shirt."

"Yeah. Neither are you." I didn't get what the problem was. I had bandages around my chest!

"It's _natural _for guys not to wear shirts...but _girls..._"

I rolled my eyes. "Naruto, we're both recovering from injuries. What difference does it make if we're not wearing shirts? Yeah, it's natural for males not to wear shirts, and females normally don't, but I have bandages on. There's nothing wrong with that is there? It's like a shirt made of bandages. See? I'm like a mummy." I did a little mummy stance and moaned. Naruto and Kahiko laughed. I saw the blonde-haired-boy smile.

--

Naruto laughed loudly. "My recovery time is incredible! Most of my wounds heal in under a day!"

I rolled my eyes, but Kahiko smiled. "Yes, and it looks like your other friend over there is making just as good a recovery." The blonde-haired-boy was sitting crossed-legged with his eyes closed some distance away. There was a woman tending to his injuries.

"Kahiko," I whispered, "I told you...he's not our friend. He _attacked _us."

Kahiko laughed loudly and patted me on the head. I frowned and sunk down in my seat. I was sitting between him and Naruto. "Well, I don't care if you were friends before this or not, but while you're here, we're all one big happy family!"

Naruto leaned over to me and whispered in my ear, "I am _not _your brother." I put my arm around Naruto's neck, playfully choking him.

"Of course you are, Naruto! You heard what Kahiko said!" I smiled and Kahiko and I laughed. Naruto moaned unhappily. From the corner of my eye, I saw the blonde-haired-boy smile again.

When he saw me look at him, his smile disappeared. As the woman unwrapped some of his bandages, we saw a mark on his chest. Kahiko observed it lazily, while Naruto glared at him. I'm sure I had an intrigued look on my face. Neragui jumped up on Kahiko's lap and Naruto went into a defensive stance.

"Be careful, old man, that thing's dangerous as they come..." I laughed at Naruto's childishness.

"Naruto, he's just a ferret. What harm could he do?" I smiled again. Kahiko explained why Neragui was with him.

"So how did you three end up here?" Kahiko asked.

"We were ambushed...by _him." _Naruto said hatefully. Neragui then returned to the blonde-haired-boy's lap.

--

Naruto was talking with Kahiko and someone else. They were riding large birds. I think it was called an 'emu'.' I was sitting across from the blonde-haired-boy in the same wagon. He hadn't said a word to me. I had to say something, because I couldn't hear Naruto and Kahiko's conversation from here.

"So...um...what's your name?" I asked quietly, looking up at him.

He smiled. "Temujin. I've heard your name is Sen."

"You've heard right..." I said, playing with my thumbs nervously.

"Do you know what 'Sen' means?"

I said all the meanings to my name resentfully. "Line, cork, stopper, thousand..."

Temujin smiled again. "You're right, but there's another meaning." I looked up at him again, curiously. "Lotus blossom." I'd never heard that one before. "Your parents must be proud to have a daughter with such a beautiful name."

My eyes narrowed and I looked away. "My parents didn't name me: I did. And besides," I sighed, "My parents are dead."

Temujin seemed shocked to hear this. "I'm sorry to hear that." And he was silent. I asked another question, my expression softening.

"Temujin, why are you so nice to me, but you're so mean to Naruto?"

He smiled again, closing his eyes this time. "I'm nice to you because it would be rude not to be polite to a girl."

My eyes narrowed again. "I see. You must be sexist." He took a sharp intake of breath, seemingly shocked. "It may not be like, horrible to the point of you want to kill the opposite gender, but it's still sexist. What is it that females must be treated so differently? Is it because we are gentle? Is it because we have breasts? Is it because we are more emotional than males? Not all females want to be treated differently, Temujin. I want to be treated just like everyone else. Whether it means being treated nicely or being treated like worthless moss on some stone, I want to be treated like the males are." _At least _Shino _doesn't treat me any differently. He's either rude to me and everyone else, or nice to me and everyone else...but he's not rude very often. Except to Kiba, Kiba's different in his perspective..._

Temujin smiled. "I'm sorry. I'll make sure that I don't treat you like a girl any more." I smiled in return. Silence surrounded us for a few moments.

With an inhaling sigh, I started a new subject. "So, Temujin, what were you doing when you ambushed us?"

It felt odd to talk about being attacked so casually. He replied, "You were traveling too close to my organization's territory."

"Organization?" I asked, automatically thinking about the Akatsuki. "What does your organization do?"

"Master Haido and the rest of us...We're going to build a Utopia...One where there is no more war."

"What organization do you work for?" I wondered if there was a new Akatsuki member I didn't know about. At that point, Neragui returned to Temujin and I, racing back and forth between the two of us. I saw Kahiko sulking at the loss of the caravan's beloved pet to two outsiders.

Without hinderance from Neragui, Temujin smiled. "I'm certain I don't have to tell you that." I frowned and looked away.

"What was that purple aura about you when we fought? It's was quite...interesting," Temujin asked.

I frowned once more. How could he not know what it was? "That was my Chakra."

"Chakra...An interesting name for an interesting power...But...I don't sense any Gelel from you."

"What's Gelel?"

Temujin seemed shocked, but he shook his head. "Nevermind...So...your parents are dead?"

"Yeah," I said, sighing. "So are my siblings. The only one still alive is my older brother." I hung my head outside the wagon, feeling the warmth against my not only snow-white but snow-cold flesh. My eyes were closed.

"Is it easy for you to talk about it?"

"I suppose. It doesn't really mean much to me: I never knew 'em anyway. I only know Oniisan."

"Why is your brother the only one alive? Besides you, that is."

"He killed them." I heard a sharp intake of breath from Temujin. I opened one eye and stared at him casually.

He looked away and blushed, embarassed I had caught him off guard. I smiled to myself. "Do you hate your brother?"

I sighed once more and closed my eyes. "Yeah, I suppose. But...I gotta live with him."

I think he frowned from the silence that followed. "You live with the person who killed your family...? Do you know how right that is and how much sense it really makes?"

"Yeah, I know it's not right. But one day I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna be the best Ninja I can be and kill him in recompense for what he did. Uh, hey, you're not a Ninja...are you?"

"A Ninja?" His voice portrayed his certain expression of bewilderment.

"You know, like Chakra and Jutsu and all that?" I looked up at him, bewildered myself. He shook his head. "With those moves of yours, I'd suspect you were a like me, a Shinobi skilled in Taijutsu."

"I'm a Knight." Temujin didn't seem proud at all. Then he turned to me, smiling once more. "You have a point. You really aren't that much like a girl, anyway. This won't be hard." I smiled back, and couldn't help but laugh.

--

I climbed out of the wagon and stretched. I smiled at Temujin who was still sitting. "You coming, or what? Hey, maybe you'd like to see how me and my Ninja Squad train! Who knows," I grinned, "you could be the Ninja-Knight, if you learn Ninjustu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu!"

Temujin looked away. "Hmm...Maybe later."

I frowned, wondering why he was being so sullen now. He had been talking a lot with me, even laughing a couple of times. Why was he acting so strangely?

I shrugged it off and returned to stretching. I stood on my hands a couple of times, like Guy sensei would have Lee kun and I do to begin training. He said it was to get the blood flowing faster. I don't know if it really worked, but I did it anyway. I started training by myself. Eventually, I heard Naruto interrogating Temujin rudely.

I heard Temujin's voice. "That power you used...What was it?"

"_Power!? _What d'you mean, power? You mean my Chakra?"

"Chakra...Is that what Sen was talking about?"

"Oh, I see how it is!" Naruto shouted. "You'll talk to _her,_but you won't talk to anyone else! I'll bet you like her!" Shocked, I turned around. I saw that Temujin was blushing and Naruto was in his 'funny rage' state. "Come on! Out with it! I want an answer! Who are you and what do you want!?"

"I'm here to build a Utopia..." Naruto was confused. "You and Sen both possess very interesting powers...That _Chakra..._The two of you should return with me." Naruto seemed confused once again.

He raged, "I don't even know what it is you're saying!" He began to rant and rave at Temujin, yelling his opinions. I watched as the emu-thing he was on ran away, and he began to lose his balance. At that, I returned to my training.

--

I heard a scream, but thought nothing of it, as the children were playing ball and often screamed when they got a bruise or scraped their knee. I continued my training, walking from the wagon to a tree and back on my hands two-hundred times.

"One hundred fourty-eight..." I counted as I walked on my hands. I heard footsteps and someone saying my name. I returned to a normal, upright position and watched as Naruto ran towards me.

With his hands on his hips and an irritated look on his face, he declared, "So, did you have a nice talk with your new boyfriend?"

I frowned. "He isn't my boyfriend, Naruto. You know that."

"Well, whatever he is to you, he just walked off."

"What?" I was confused. Naruto put his hands behind his head.

"Yup. I don't have any intention of going to get him, either. He's gone, left, skedaddled, waltzed off, vamoosed, disappeared, threw in the t-"

"I get it, Naruto!" I shouted, grabbing Naruto by the collar. "But do you realize how attatched Neragui is to him?! That means that Neragui's gone, too! Where was the point in this mission if Neragui's gone?! We have to find the both of them! Let's go!" I grabbed Naruto's arm and we started to run. He was stumbling, unused to my speed. I was slower than normal, too, because Guy sensei had started to have me wear the weights around my ankles. They weren't bright orange like Lee kun's, but they were hidden beneath the hem on the pantlegs.

--

A heavy mist surrounded the three of us. Naruto and I bounded towards Temujin, who had his back turned to us.

"We finally caught up with you..." Naruto said as we stopped beside him. "If you don't wanna go back with us, at least reutn the cat." Neragui curled behind Temujin and hissed at Naruto. "You little...! Huh?"

"Naruto..." I said quietly, pointing towards the clearing mist. "L-look..."

A large building lay in front of us. "What _is _this?" The mist cleared mroe and the massive shape of the structure was revealed. It looked like a chapel, without a bell. "Who are you?" Naruto turned and asked Temujin.

Without taking his eyes off the chapel-like building, Temujin replied, "My name...is Temujin. Sen, please come. I'd like to introduce you to Master Haido. Remember?" Biting my lip, I nodded and ran after him.

"Hey! What about me?" Naruto shouted, stopping both of us.

Temujin smiled. "I suppose you can come, too."

Naruto frowned, but followed us. As we walked in the silver halls of the chapel-like structure, Naruto began to question Temujin once more. "So...who's this Master Haido person?"

"He's my Lord. He's a great man. When you meet him, you'll see." Temujin didn't look at Naruto as he spoke, but rather to me, as if I had asked the question.

One of the metal-men from before walked past us. I stood up straight and clutched the top of my kunai, ready to draw it if need be. Temujin smiled.

"Don't worry about them. They're only soldiers who have dedicated themselves to our cause." I looked back as it walked away from us without a word. "All of my comrades are..." He silenced himself and I couldn't help but worry.

Temujin stopped us in front of two purple doors. He pressed a button. Two doors opened and, startled, I jumped backwards. Naruto seemed equally intrigued. Temujin walked into the tiny, circular room beyond and signalled for us to follow. Hesitantly, we walked in beside him. Temujin pressed another button inside the tiny room and the doors closed. Then, the circular room began to move upwards. I got a literaly sinking feeling. Naruto and I looked up, trying to find out what was happening. I heard a little bell go _ding _and the doors opened again. The room beyond us had a small staircase and a walkway with a red, marble stripe on it. Pillars were situated neatly between the floor and the ceiling. I scrambled out of the odd, moving contraption and searched the door for any sign of how it worked. Naruto grabbed my arm and pulled me along.

Temujin led us onto the red-stripe-walkway and bowed down to something - some_one_. He sat his helmet beside him and did not look up. Naruto and I stood side-by-side, oblivious that we were supposed to bow. One the top of the small staircase sat a chair, and on that chair sat a man. He was reading a book.

"My Lord...I have returned." Temujin said.

The man closed the book. "Ah, Temujin. So nice to have you back." He sat the book beside his chair and stood. He had monocle in one eye. He was wearing cream-colored robes topped by a blue shaw. A hat the same shade as his shaw adorned his redish orange hair. A permanent smile painted his lips. He spoke to Naruto, "You must be the one Temujin told me of. He tells me you possess a great power." Then he said to me, "And you must be the other. I've heard very highly of you. Sen, if I'm not mistaken?"

"Yes, sir." I bowed. "It's very nice to meet you."

He chuckled. "Well, someone knows their manners, eh, Temujin?" He laughed again. "But, resuming the topic of that power...I understand you both possess it?"

"That's correct, My Lord." Temujin said, rising. His eyes were closed. "Allow me to demonstrate." He drew his sword and swung at both Naruto and I. We both back-flipped farther down the red stripe.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Naruto yelled.

"Naruto, please..." I said, reaching my hand out to him. He slapped it away.

Temujin, sword still drawn, demanded, "I order you, stand and fight me!"

"Temujin, no!" The man ordered. "There is no need for violence here."

"But, Master..." Temujin turned to him, looking like a puppy who had been scolded for tearing up a shoe.

"My son, violence is not the answer, and you know that." The man shook his head.

I heard a squeaking noise and turned. The large wall made of metal plates began to rise. Gorgeous sunlight shone through, painting a clear mosaic on the marbled floor. Naruto and I, with permission from the man, ran to it.

"Sen, Naruto, we have traveled vastly, attemtping to create our Utopia..." Haido said, as he and Temujin followed Naruto and I. We were both ecstatic.

"Wait...what's a Utopia, anyway?" Naruto asked.

Haido answered, "Well, it is, quite simply, a world in which wars no longer exist. Where the weak are never bullied or picked on..." Naruto questioned him once more. "Yes, a world with no wars...Sounds wonderful, doesn't it?"

"A Utopia..." I said as I gazed out of the window. "Th-that's what _we're _trying to do." I turned to Haido, neither smiling nor frowning.

"We?" He asked.

"Yes..." I returned my gaze to the window. "My organization...that is our goal, too. To teach the world order, peace, and discipline..." _Through pain, _I added mentally. Naruto looked at me quizzically. "We don't want wars. However little of us there may be, we are striving to make a change in how things are. We may seem violent in getting what we want, but often times, violence is needed to create peace, right?

"My leader is a relatively young man, compared to some of us. He claims himself a deity, and we believe that. His ideas for the future are phenomenal, beyond anything I've seen before. I idolize him, really, and I want peace, too...If you see us...we don't have the best idea of a past, nor of a present. We are murderers, vampires, cannibals, terrorists, all the evil and nasty things people might call us...but if you really dig deep, we're good people and we don't want our pasts to repeat themselves. A Utopia...I may have to tell Leader that one day..." I didn't pull my eyes from the glorious scene outside the window as I spoke of the Akatsuki in a way I never thought I might.

Haido's voice came behind me, "That's quite wonderful. How many are there in your organization?"

I paused, counting in my mind. "Thirteen," I answered.

I think Haido frowned. "That is very little. What is the name of your organization and the name of your leader?"

I gasped lightly and my face lost all color, if it had any in the first place. "I-I c-can't tell you th-that...I-I've s-said t-too m-much al-already." I heard Haido chuckling.

"It's quite alright." He explained why he wanted a Utopia, and Temujin's part in it. "Sen, Naruto, do you have any interest in joining us? If we work together, we may make the world a better place. Perhaps your organization would join with ours, Sen. We could use people like you."

Naruto put his hands behind his head. "Well, it's really tempting, but I'm gonna be Hokage, so..."

"Hokage?" Haido inquired. I moaned and Naruto chuckled.

"Not again...Save me from the horror of Naruto-induced headache..." I put my head shamefully on Temujin's shoulder and moaned again. He laughed. Then, he moved slightly and I lost my balance. Falling to the ground, embarassed, I looked up.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Temujin said, offering his hand. Neragui sat on his other soulder. I took his hand and he pulled me up. Neragui hissed at Naruto.

"Neragui! How nice to see you again!" I said, rubbing the ferret under the chin, it looked up in ecstasy, closing its eyes. Temujin laughed again.

"Dear, Temujin, who is your little friend?" Haido asked.

"My apologies, my Lord. I spent too much time in the caravan and he grew a fondness towards me." Haido walked towards Neragui. Neragui hissed.

"A caravan? How interesting...I'll be back in a little while. Feel free to make yourselves accomidated." Haido left the room. I stood by the window. Naruto waltzed around the room, looking at anything he found interesting. My eyes never came unglued from the bright, beautiful scene outside the window. I heard a clanging of armor and felt a hand on my shoulder. I didn't turn around. Temujin's voice was at almost a whisper level.

"It's beautiful, isn't it...?" I nodded incoherently. "The whole world could be this beautiful...this peaceful. Would you like that?"

"Very much so, yes." I said quietly.

"It could be like this if you and Naruto were to join us. We need talented people like you. Wouldn't a Utopia be wonderful? No wars, no worries, just peace...Please," I turned to Temujin and he held my hands in his own, a sincerely pleading look on his face. "Won't you join us? It would be great, to work together with comrades towards a greater cause." I looked away, towards the ground.

"I wish I could Temujin, but..." He had an eagerly pleading look on his face, like that of a puppy teased with a toy. "I just can't." I pulled my hands away from him, looking out the window once more.

"Why not?"

"This world of yours...It's amazing. There's so much technology, so many new, interesting thigns just _waiting _to be discovered...Do you live like this all the time?" I smiled, looking past my reflection in the window and watching the bluebirds play.

"Why can't you join us?" Temujin repeated patiently.

I sighed and closed my eyes. "This...is too complicated for me to explain in such a limited amount of time and a limited amount of information I can give you...But it's simply this. I'm focusing on my organization and returning to..." I stopped myself. "Someone important to me...I'm afraid I just don't have the time, nor the focus. Nor...the heart."

"The heart?"

I blinked slowly, not daring to look anywhere but out of the window. "The heart to forsake that which I seek." And Temujin was silent. Haido returned moments later and explained a few more things to Naruto.

_"Master Haido," _came a disembodied woman's voice, _"there's a problem."_

Once again stunned by the odd technology, Naruto and I looked around, trying to find the woman who the voice belonged to. "What's the issue?"

_"The fleet sent to the Land of Winds was anihilated." _

"I'm coming!" Temujin shouted, and began to run. With a silent look at one another, Naruto and I ran after him. We entered the tiny-circular-up-and-down-room again and this time went down. I felt sick to my stomach.

--

Naruto and I stood side-by-side on what used to be a beach. Temujin was standing with us, but I paid him no mind. Rubble covered the sand and piece of seaweed-covered wood dotted the beach. A large ship-like structure was washed up and turned on one side.

"What is all this?" Naruto asked incoherently. He started to run toward the ship.

"Naruto, wait!" I shouted, running after him. He didn't stop. "Ohhhh...Naruto..." I sighed and kept up with him. As we entered the ship, we were forced to walk in complete darkness. I walked behind Naruto, holdiong the back of his shirt so as not to lose him.

"Hold on," Naruto shouted into the darkness. I whispered his name, trying to get him to stop. "Who's there? What's going on?" I heard a chattering noise, like those little wind-up teeth used for gag gifts. When I heard it, I thought of Kaede's scorpion, Iodine. We would be in a _bad _position if it was Io. Naruto moved unexpectedly, and I screamed, expecting an attack. I then heard chuckling, but no attack made impact.

"Naruto? Sen? What're you two doing here?" Came a, somehow familiar, deep male voice.

I heard Naruto's voice then. "Kankuro...?" Of course! How could I not remember Kankuro?!

Then came chuckling. "You got it."

"Uh, but...How did you know it was us?" Naruto inquired.

"Well, for one," his voice was still disembodied to me, "I'd recognize Sen's girly scream anywhere."

"Hey!" I said, thoroughly offended.

"And two," he continued as if I had never spoken, "where the heck would Sen be without Naruto?"

"Not fair, Kankuro," I said, folding my arms.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Oh, it's perfectly fair." I felt a scream rising to my throat, but restrained it. The hand was gone and Kankuro was laughing. I could tell he was doubling over with hilarity.

My eyes thinned and I was starting to make out the shapes of each person. "Oh, real funny, Kankuro. Sure, 'let's scare the jumpy girl! Sounds like fun!'" I whined in a girly voice.

"Kankuro! Enough scaring Sen, OK? Tell me what happened," Naruto demanded.

His voice was suddenly serious. Well, as serious as Kankuro's voice gets. "You didn't know about this? Man, these people, they came and tried to invade the Land o' Wind outta nowhere." Naruto and I gasped, thinking the same thing. "Too many casualities for one battle...Whole villages were wiped out." Frightened, I turned to Temujin.

"Temujin..." I began.

Naruto interrupted, "Is this true?"

"They were only noble sacrifices for the greater good." I was shocked, quite frankly.

"Oh, please, gimme a break!" Naruto moaned.

"Temujin, are you...are you serious...?" I asked. I stepped closer to Naruto and Kankuro, farther from Temujin. I accidentally ran into Kankuro, as I could still not see everyone's full shape.

"Hey, look, sorry for interrupting your heated conversation, here, but...I'm gonna beat 'im up now, OK?" Kankuro said.

"You stay outta this! He's my opponent, you got that?!" Naruto shouted. There was a loud crash, a clanging of weapons, and I was forced against the wall piece a piece of metal, I think.

"Those who stand in our way will only die," I heard Temujin say.

"Yeah, sure, we believe ya." Kankuro's dry sarcasm was ten feet or so away.

Then came a woman's voice. "Temujin, you idiot, you know you're not supposed to be here! You're only supposed to scout!"

"This one's just acting as a lookout," came another female voice, "there's another unit near here..."

Then came Temujin's voice again. "But-"

"Why're you so nervous?" Came the first.

"There's no reason to be all worked up..." The second.

"We're splitting, before things turn nasty." The first once more.

Another loud crash, and I was still stuck against the wall. The weight bearing down on my chest now, making it harder to breathe. Another crash followed sequence and I heard yet another voice come in, this one familar and male.

"You're not gettting away that easily!" Gaara! Oh thank goodness he was there! If he killed two Kusa Shinobi that were body guards for the Daimyo (which I still couldn't thank him enough for) with such ease as a movement of his fist, he could kill anyone easily!

Then another, familar female voice. "I've got this one, Gaara kun."

"Kaede!" I shouted. "Nikki Kaede!"

"You idiot, I know you're here! Don't shout my full name! I'll help you in a moment!" Kaede replied. I suddenly felt very childish.

"So, Gaara, it's nice of you to finally join the party." Kankuro teased his brother.

Then, the two female voices taunted them. I heard Naruto saying, "What're you thinking!?" A small amount of light filtered thorugh the room and I could visibly see everyone. Gaara, Kaede, and Kankuro were fighting the two females. Naruto was busy with Temujin.

Temujin said, "I already told you didn't I? Sacrifices must be made to achieve a goal such as this one."

I tried to move the piece of metal that was pinning me to the wall, suffocating me. I coughed several times. Bodies that looked half-dead or farther were scattered in broken, glass spheres. "Look around you! Aren't these your friends lying here, Temujin?!" Naruto was enraged, and not in the funny way.

"Yes, but they were like me, willing to dedicate their lives to the cause." I saw that Kankuro had fallen into the effect of a Genjutsu. By the looks of it, it was a Darkness Genjutsu, too. I knew how to cancel Darkness Style Genjutsu and Ninjutsu, but, gosh darn it, I couldn't get free!

"How could you!?" Naruto shouted, raising his fist toward Temujin.

"Naruto! D-don't!" Naruto turned ot me, grimacing and angry.

"Why not?! He deserves it! He's a no-good person who doesn't care about the well-being of his own comrades!" Nonetheless, Naruto turned away and tried to hit Temujin.

"Thank you, Sen. I expected someone as good-natured as you would allow me to have an advantage in the battle." Then I realized what I had done. I had distracted Naruto while Temujin prepared for an attack. I felt guilty, and I didn't mean to do it.

I struggled to get out from under the metal. The two boys did nothing. They stood across from one another, glaring. Temujin's sword was drawn, pointed at Naruto. I saw Naruto's fingers twitching to get to his Ninja Tools. Cacophonous crackling noises from the other battles were incredibly loud, even where we were.

_Clang._

I watched as the bosy engaged themselves in battle. Sword of Knight versus Kunai of Shinobi. The boys were so involved and focused in their battle, they led themselves outside, into the light and the sand. Gaara was already there. I saw no sign of Kaede nor Kankuro. I was still stuck behind the sheet of metal.

"Darn it!" I whispered, cursing my own weakness. "How dare you call yourself Shinobi, Sen, when you can't even lift a piece of metal?! You're pathetic! You're not worth being Shinobi at all!" Then, I heard a clacking noise. Upon looking down, I saw what I expected. "Io?"

_Clack, clack, _Was the over-sized scorpion's only response. He seemed to have retorted, _"What other giant scorpions do you know?" _I sighed in relief of seeing him.

"Iodine, can _you _help me?" I asked, feeling slightly dumb. He responded with a typical _clack, clack. _I don't know if it ment yes or no, but he started trying to move the metal. He looked up at me, as if trying to say something. Using his tail, he motioned for me to move closer to the edge of the large sheet of metal. I tried to move as best as I could. It seemed to satisfy him. With a swish of movement and a loud piercing noise, I watched Io's tail go straight through the sheet of metal as though it were only rice paper. He pulled it forward slightly, just enough for me to stumble out from behind it. Io removed his tail from the metal. "Thank you, Io," I said. He just scuttled past me. I sighed. "Look at yourself, Sen. You're talking with a giant scorpion who could care less whether you live or die. You're degrading yourself."

I ran out of the door, only to be engulfed in a pale purple cloud. I stood alone, coughing. Io was already out of sight. I heard voices.

"Temujin! Time's up!" That one was female.

"You're not going anywhere!" That was _definately _Naruto's voice.

"Let go, idiot..."

"No way! Eh...huh? What...?"

"I'm...losing...my grip..." Then, as the smoke cleared, I saw _the funniest _thing I'd seen in my entire life.

Naruto was basically hugging Kankuro. Kankuro was hanging by his arms from a piece of metal. I saw how determined he was on trying to keep hold on the metal. Naruto looked _very _confused. I doubled over laughing, unable to breathe. I heard Kaede dying with laughter, also.

"What're you even doing here?!" Naruto shouted. And the metal broke. They fell, screaming, into the water.

I tried to breathe, and stopped myself from laughing. I ran to the edge of the water. "Are you guys...OK?" I said. They bobbed to the surface. Kankuro's face paint was gone and they were both soaking wet. Gaara helped Naruto out of the water and I helped Kankuro. Naruto took off his jacket and set it out to dry.

"Ah man...My facepaint came off..." Kankuro said, upset.

Kaede said, "You mean your makeup?" She started laughing again. Kankuro frowned.

"Do you want me to help you put it back on?" I offered. "Or...do you even have any with you?"

"Yeah, I've got some. Let me just get it and that'd be great if you could." He removed Crow from his back, leaving the other puppet still tied up. He opened a small compartment at the base of the puppet's neck. Inside lay a small purple vial. "Do you know the pattern?" I nodded. If you're wondering _how _exactly it was that I knew the pattern, the blueprints to all of Sasori's puppets had gotten mixed in the Akatsuki scrolls and I read them. I knew the pattern from that. "Thanks," Kankuro said, handing me the vial. He sat cross-legged in the sand. I frowned.

"Kankuro, do me a favor," I said. I looked at me questioningly. "Can you hold my shirt up about...this much?" I asked, holding my shirt up just enough so that only my headband was visible. He blushed and his eyes grew wide.

"Uh...w-why?" He looked away. I put my shirt down.

"Your face is too wet and if I put the facepaint on while it's wet, it's just going to run off. I'm going to use the cloth on my headband to dry your face."

"Well...why can't you just...untie your headband? W-why do I have to...hold up your shirt?"

"Because I trapped my headband with a paper bomb so that if anyone hits my headband, the paper bomb will slide off onto them and blow up. Only I can deactivate it." I found my reasonings perfectly simple.

Still blushing, Kankuro said, "O-OK. F-fine." He held my shirt up just as much as I told him to, trying his best not to hit my headband. I had tied it around my waist so I never was impaled through the stomach. I had learned that the hard way. I undid the trap slowly and carefully, making sure not to hit the headband or to mess up. One mess up and we would all be little piles of dust. Finally, I was able to deactivate the trap. The paper bomb floated to the ground and I was able to take off my headband. I told Kankuro he could put my shirt down.

"OK, now look at me and close your eyes," I said, "I don't want any of this to get in your eyes. I don't think you wanna be blind." He closed his eyes and I dipped my fingers into the cool, purple facepaint. Picturing the design from the blueprints, I began to carefully paint it on his face. I heard the other three talking.

"Alright, Naruto, spit it out!" Came Kaede, irritated. "Who was that jerk you were with and why were you with him?!"

"Don't hurt me!" Naruto said, sounding very pathetic. "A-ask Sen! She spent more time with him!"

"Fine." I heard a thud and the rustling of sand. I figured that either Kaede had held him by the collar of his shirt or Gaara had had him imprisoned in sand. "Imoto," Kaede said, once more declaring me her younger sister, "Who was he and why were the two of you with him?" Her voice was kinder as she spoke with me.

"His name was Temujin..." I said quietly, still focusing on the pattern.

"And..." She goaded me on.

"And he worked for an organization with a view similar to ours. I honestly trusted him, but..."

"Isn't that one of the first things your brother enforced on you?" She said. "Not to trust anyone but yourself?"

"I trust you." My answer was simple enough.

"I want to know why he was with you."

"Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru and I were all on a mission to catch a ferret-"

"It was evil!" Naruto shouted.

I continued, "We were on our way to return the ferret when _he _attacked us...out of nowhere. He used somehting like a Ninjutsu, but it wasn't quite that...It collided with the Rasengan, and the three of us fell off of a cliff. We woke up in a caravan. We met an kind old man named Kahiko...Neragui - the ferret - belonged to him. As we travelled with the caravan, I got to talk with Temujin, while Naruto was talking with Kahiko and some others. I learned things about him. He didn't know what Chakra was, but he talked about something called 'Gelel.' He didn't tell me what it was though...

"Naruto and I went with him to his organization. They have some really odd technology there, like rooms that take you up and down without walking and things that let you talk with someone in another room and be heard over everything else. There we met his master, Haido. Temujin asked me to join them, and later Haido asked Naruto...A woman started talking over the louder-than-everything-else-thing and said that there was an issue here...Naruto and I followed Temujin here and...well, you know the rest," I finished.

"I see..." Kaede said. I put the cork back in the vial of facepaint.

"I'm done, Kankuro." I handed him back the vial.

Gaara said, "Kankuro, Senari, why don't the two of you go and make sure there's no one else here?" We both nodded, neither daring to argue with Gaara.

The ship-thing was still dark. The half-dead bodies scared me. "What...what's wrong with them?" I whispered, in a Hinata-like stance. Amaya always told me that I should've been related to Hinata because I acted like her sometimes. Hinata had never said a single word to me.

"I don't know...They look like they're passed out or somethin'..." Kankuro said in response, studying one of the bodies.

"D...Do you think...do you think they're dead...?" I asked, stammering.

"Nah...they look like they've still got some color in 'em. They're not dead if they're not pale." He gave me an odd look, as if suggesting I was dead. I was in no way about to get on _that _topic.

Once, as we were walking, Kankuro tripped and accidentally pushed me into a rusted-out hole. He peered over the edge. "Oh man, I'm sorry. Are you OK?"

I smiled frailly at him. "Yeah...I'm fine. Just a little startled, that's all..." Kankuro helped me out of the hole and we continued to search. We found nothing and returned to the others.

"Did you find anything?" Gaara asked. I shook my head. "Good..."

--

"Do you know what you did?! You almost killed them!" Naruto shouted.

"Naruto," I said, "Y-you probably shouldn't...Oh..." Temujin glared at me.

"Hey, calm down," Shikamaru told him. "There's no need to hate her. She's gettin' Naruto off _your_ sorry tail."

"I didn't _say _I hate her." Temujin retorted cooly.

"You sure do act like it, punk!" Naruto shouted once more. "You've got some nerve, thinking you can -"

"Naruto...calm down. Let _me _talk to him." Kahiko insisted. Temujin was tied up in the middle of all of us. Shikamaru had caught him using the Shadow Possession Jutsu. Kahiko sat somewhere to the right of Temujin. Naruto was standing in from of him, angry. Shikamaru and I sat side-by-side. I was glad I had a close friend with me on this mission. Kaede was sitting a little farther away from me. She and Gaara had discussed the issue and they found it best if she came with. Sakura was sitting behind Naruto, another girl behind her.

"I didn't think you would know anything about the stones," Temujin said.

"That is irrelevant. I want to know why you're after them." Kahiko demanded.

"We need them for our cause."

"Those stones cannot return to this world! You have no _idea _of the horror inside those stones!"

Temujin smirked. "Give your lecture to someone who will listen." A blue light began to emanate from inside Temujin's armor. It was a circle shape, with odd little designs inside.

"What...what is that?" Sakura asked.

"It's a Crystal of Gelel...They are the source of all energy, all life," Kahiko answered.

"Temujin..." I said. "I-is...is this the...Gelel you were talking about? You didn't sense any '_Gelel'_from Naruto or I?"

"Hmph. You're more than just a pretty face, then. You can actually put things together." Temujin insulted me.

In turn, Shikamaru defended me. "Don't say that! She can beat me at Shogi _and _Go! Asuma sensei tested her IQ, and it's just as high as mine!"

"He did?" I whispered.

"Remember those puzzles he made you solve?"

"Oh."

"If her IQ is the same as yours, then you're both pretty stupid." Temujin retorted once more. "I know more about the stones than anyone else..." Kahiko and Temujin discussed 'the stones' and how Temujin was given the stone. Kahiko explained about the caravan's ancestors, and how they had the ability to fuse the Stones of Gelel with the body. He also explained the Book of Gelel.

"Temujin," Kahiko addressed him, "You are not coming to a new land, you are in fact returning home. We are of the same clan." He went on to explain to us how Gelel was found, and what it did.

"This is the first I've heard of it," Shikamaru said. He seemed very deep in thought.

"It...was a very long time ago..." Kahiko's in-depth explanation of Gelel and the caravan's ancestors went on for minutes. Sakura only goaded him by asking questions. One thing caught my attention.

"If this was so powerful, why didn't they just destroy it?" Sakura asked.

"Because the Stone of Gelel can only be destroyed by those with royal blood." I then payed more attention to Kahiko's story. "One day, we'll all just fade away and die out on the wind..."

Temujin smirked again. "Fade away? Die out? Heh. Now I'm more motivated than ever."

"Weren't you just listening to the old man?!" Naruto shouted.

"The stones are too dangerous!" Kahiko repeated himself.

"Whatever power those stones may hold...I'm certain Master Haido will use it justly." Temujin recounted how Haido had helped him, and why he wanted to help Haido. "This is my only dream: to remove the world of all war and bloodshed. I need the Stone of Gelel to make it work!" With that, he broke out of his ropes and did a backflip.

_You were right, my dear child...he _would _make a good Shinobi...if only we could set him straight..._

_If only, Tsume..._

_If you will, let me fight around Kaede._

_Why?_

_She is the host to my old Sensei, Chiyo, the only Growing-Tails and sister to Kyuubi kun._

_Understood._

Temujin landed behind Kahiko, his sword at the old man's throat. We all hurried to defend him. He looked more dangerous than ever noe.

"Temujin, what're you doing?!" I shouted.

"What I should've done all along...Tell me where the mines of Gelel are."

"Not on my life!" Kahiko said.

"I am left no choice, then..." Temujin acted as if to cut Kahiko's throat, but instead hit him with the hilt of his sword. In a flash of light, he disappeared. I felt a tug at the back of my shirt, and I was pulled roughly to the ground. I was blinded by the bright light and was unable to tell what was going on.

I didn't know what had happened until I was on the back of some horse-like animal. Kahiko was sitting behind me, Temujin in front of me, and a child from the caravan in my arms. The night was cold, and the wind from the creature running didn't help. I expected to see the silhouette of an Akatsuki member anywhere against the blue night sky. We came to a cliff. Temujin and Kahiko dismounted the creature. I looked around and, upon seeing nothing harmful, dismounted, too. I sat the now-awake little boy on the back of the animal, smiling at him.

His face became distorted and he started crying. I picked him up again. "Shhh...It's OK...You'll be alright. No one's going to hurt you, I promise. Just go back to sleep, OK...?" He sniffed several times before silencing himself. I put him on the back of odd animal again. "Are you going to be OK up here by yourself?" He nodded and I smiled.

I turned to Temujin, thoroughly irritated. "What was that for?" I asked.

"I had to."

"No you didn't! You woke up a little boy who needed his sleep, hurt an innocent old man, and made a female Shinobi mad! That's three mistakes already! Would you like me to continue?!" Temujin smiled and turned away. I sighed. "What's _with_you?" Kahiko shook his head and shrugged. Temujin made no reply.

"You act like a mother...Are you like that with all children?" That was the only thing he said.

"Don't talk to me like I still care about you! Be-because...I-I don't!" I lied.

Temujin turned to the little boy on the weird animal. "I am sorry for treating you so roughly, little one. Be on your way." He turned the animal around and it started running. Now that it was only the three of us, Temujin drew his sword. It began to glow with a turqoise-blue light. He held it up to the sky, and the glowing increased. A laser-like light went from his sword into the sky. It bent at an almost impossible angle and pointed toward the edge of the cliff. He sheathed his sword and walked toward Kahiko and I.

Kahiko began to lead us down a path. He uttered no words. I hesitated, but Temujin shoved me roughly. "Go," was the only thing he said. The pathway we were on seemed interminable. We entered a large structure. There were several platforms above us. Still, no words were said. It was like Kahiko and I were being held hostage.

Finally, we stopped. We were in a room. The platform we were on was a path and then three circles conected in a squished triangle form.

"You're the one who knows this place...You can lead." Temujin demanded.

Kahiko replied, "Follow me..."

As we began walking again, I heard a familar voice. "Hey! You let those two go! You hear me?!" Naruto. We turned and saw Naruto, Sakura, Kaede, and Shikamaru standing on a platform above us. Naruto landed on the pathway from which we had just come.

"You stay out of this." Temujin went into a battle stance. Pebbles began to fall from the ceiling, then rocks, then boulders. There was a loud drilling nosie.

"What the heck...?" Naruto said. Another of the odd machines came in. It was like a large drill, with several actual drills on it. A platform was lowered.

And there stood Haido.

Beside him were the women we had encountered in the ship-like thing, along with one more, to make three of them. Temujin bowed.

"Master Haido, the mines of Gelel lay just below us."

"Thank you, Temujin. The dream of our Utopia is nearing us, finally."

"Yes, it is, My Lord..." Temujin murmured, almost robotically. Haido turned to walk back into the giant drill. But a voice stopped him.

"Hold on _one _moment." I turned to see Shikamaru standing there, using Shadow Possession on Haido. He was frozen still. "I don't wanna be rude or nothin', but I've got a few questions for you."

One of the women snapped, "Master Haido will _not_ answer to you!"

"Calm down, Kamina. It'll be alright..." Haido purred. "Oh dear, whatever shall we do about such ghastly manners? Naruto, Sen, he doesn't happen to be a friend of yours, does he?" I lost my breath for a moment, and Temujin's eyes moved to me, glaring. It frightened me, really. He had been nice before, but all of a sudden, around his master, he was being cruel.

"So what's your plan...once you get the stone? What're you gonna do with it?" Shikamaru interrogated.

"Oh, ho ho!" Haido chuckled. "I would have thought Naruto had told you by now...We plan to build a Utopia! A world without war!"

"Hmph. Well, it seems like you're doing the exact opposite here, aren't you?" Shikamaru retorted.

"Well, all those casualities...they were noble sacrifices for the greater good." Haido replied coolly, as if they meant nothing to him.

"Hey, people gave their _lives _for your dream and you just pretend they never existed! How can you be so cold?!" Naruto shouted.

In turn, I siad, "'Noble sacrifices...' That's exactly what Temujin says! Don't you see, Haido? These people idolized you and you just let them die! Naruto is right: Do you not have a heart to care for anything but your Utopia?!"

"These people were your friends!" Naruto continued. "How do you not care?!"

"I've learned to accept it..." Temujin murmured.

Haido smiled, seeming to be holding back laughter. "It simply _cannot _be helped. 'Tis what happens when people fight for a common goal. But...we are succeeding."

"You're succeeding in death!" I shouted.

"I don't want to hear another word from you. Understood...?" Temujin held his sword to my throat.

"I understand nothing," I whispered, grasping the bladed edge of the sword. I felt it dig past my bandages, into my flesh, and saw crimson blood pour over the shiny, unstained metal.

"That's because you're stupid," Temujin whispered back, oblivious to my blood. Naruto was yelling once more at Haido, but I was busy with my own conversation.

"I'm smarter than you..." Temujin pushed his sword closer to my throat, cutting deeper into my hand. He grit his teeth, obviously angry. I smirked at him. "Oooh...What's the matter...? Do I _irritate you?"_

"Shut up...right now. Just shut up." He growled between his teeth. I giggled, feeling slightly insane. I took a high pitched, sharp intake of breath as an interval between my giggles and grinned. His eyes narrowed.

"Do you still think my parents should be proud of me, Temujin? Do you still think I'm like a mother? Do you still think Naruto and I have incredible power? Do you still want us to join you, even though we're hindering your pathway to your precious _Utopia?! _Aren't you going to beg me like you did, beg me to join you, beg me to become a comrade?! A comrade that will only fall dead beside you, just like all the others?!"I grinned, feeling malicious and insane at the same time. "Oh, look at you," I purred, "you _still _don't care!"

Although he was angry, his voice still maintained a whisper-volume. "I said...shut up!" I felt an impact in my stomach and I fell to the ground. My giggling ceased.

My sore eyes pried themselves open to see Temujin standing over me. His sword was no longer at my throat, but now at my heart, the point pressing down on my chest. It tickled slightly, but it didn't hurt one bit. I looked up at him, smiling. I heard Kaede yelling my name, but paid her no heed.

"Ooooh...Temujin, you wouldn't hurt me, would you...?" I started giggling again.

"What's your problem? You're not the same girl I met that day in the caravan." Temujin glared at me.

"Oh, yes, I am...Don't I still look the same to you? What happened to the kind Temujin that _I _met in the caravan?" I looked at him, and open-mouthed pause in my laughing, and then began giggling again.

"You look exactly the same to me. But now, I can't help but-" _Click. _"What..."

"Quickly Sen, get up." Kahiko helped me to my feet. The platform that the three of us were on moved away from the others.

"You _stupid _old man! What are you thinking?!" Temujin shouted. My insane mood had passed, and now I was frightened once more.

"This stone...it must be eliminated from this world once and for all..." Kahiko said, his eyes closed. "Even if the three of us die." He moved his foot slightly, and the platform dropped quickly. I grabbed his arm, for fear of falling or losing my grip. "It will be alright," he said, in an attempt to comfort me. My hand throbbed and bled. In a blind flurry, I bit off a piece of the bandage on my arm and wrapped it numbingly tight around my bleeding hand.

We were soon enclosed in pure darkness. I could see Temujin nor Kahiko. My mind battled against itself. One part said that Temujin could kill us as soon as he wanted, as we were in a disadvantage due to the lack of light. But the other half argued that he couldn't see, either, so neither of us were at a disadvantage.

We were lowered into a subterranean room. The three of us walked off the platform and into the odd room. Behind us, the platform raised. And then the kind Temujin returned.

"Where _are _we...?" He marveled.

"The Chamber of Sealing...This is all so familiar...but I've never been here..." Kahiko replied.

There were depictions, old stories, carved into images on the walls. Temujin walked over to one. There no depictions on it: it was completely black. I followed him.

"Why is this one all black...?" He asked.

"Eh...I...I'm not quite sure," Kahiko said. "Who knows what it could mean? Perhaps it's an image of their downfall." He came towards Temujin and I. I took my place behind Kahiko.

Temujin put his hand on the wall. "How wonderful...This means that our search has _not _been in vain! The Utopia _is _possible!"

"Do you mean to tell me that all this doesn't scare you?! Isn't this disturbing to you?! The stone is too powerful: That picture there proves it!" Kahiko exclaimed, aghast.

"Of course not. The stone doesn't make a difference: People will still fight...But Master Haido will use it for _good_."

"Really..." I watched in horror as Kahiko pulled a katana out of his sleeve. "Well...If you want to know, the stone is just a few more levels below us. But unfortunately, our journey end on _this _level." He ran at Temujin, katana drawn.

I really thought he was going to stab Temujin. But Temujin kicked him backwards, and the poor old man went sprawling. "Temujin!" I shouted.

"Silence! I told you already, didn't I? I don't want to hear a word from you!" Temujin snapped at me. Then he spoke to Kahiko. "You foolish old man! How dare you think you could surprise me! Are you that stupid?!"

"N-no. But," Kahiko rose to his feet with a groan, "I _did _accomplish what I set out to do. Sen, I understand you know many things about the way of the Shinobi, if I'm not mistaken." I was gaping, but quickly closed my mouth and nodded. "Tell me, when you look at the pattern on this floor, what do you see?"

I looked towards where Kahiko stood with his back to us. It was series of circles, one inside the other. It reminded me slightly of Leader's Rinnegan. Then I realize what it really was. Temujin moaned and I felt his sword at the back of my neck.

"What is it? Say it, or I'll drive this through your neck," He threatened.

"It's...It's an old Summoning Jutsu Seal...isn't it...?" I said, curious. The sword was removed.

"Exactly!" Kahiko laughed. "I knew you were a smart girl! This is indeed an older version of the Summoning Jutsu. Who knows what it might summon."

"What's your point, old man, or are you just blabbing on and on to irritate me?!" Temujin shouted.

"My point is...That we die here." He raised the bloody blade to jab into the ground.

Boom.

Kahiko was knocked backwards once more. I shouted his name, but was barely heard over the din of the explosion. Rubble and debris flew towards us. I covered my face to prevent from being blinded. I felt someone pull me by the back of my shirt. The dust settled and I realized that Temujin had pulled me back away from the more damaging effects of the explosion.

Haido stood in the cavern of the explosion, three metal-men behind him. "Hello. What _were _you planning to do, old man? Ah, it's irrelevant now. I'm so happy I came when I did." He laughed, "Who knows what that crazy old man could've done? Are you alright?"

Kahiko stood, holding his wrist. "Master Haido?" Temujin said.

"Oh, Temujin, I see you've even brought someone worth using as a hostage. Good boy." Haido smiled. "Your friends will come sooner or later, Sen, and it would be best if they were out of our way. Once they're gone, you will be, too."

"What happened to no violence, Haido!?" I shouted as he came near me.

Temujin whispered, "Sen, you really shouldn't-"

"Ah, come now, Temujin. Let her learn the hard way. Violence is needed for a greater goal. You see?" As he came nearer, he was quite intimidating. Then, he wrapped his hand around my throat and raised me to eye level, my feet coming off the ground. I started choking, unable to breathe. "You're becoming very smart, Temujin," he spoke, ignoring me. "Even if you don't know it. She'll work perfectly as a hostage."

"Master Haido, I think she's-"

"_Don't _argue with me, Temujin." With that, Haido dropped me. I landed on my side. Attempting to push myself up but failing, I began to cough uncontrollably.

"How did you get in here?" Temujin asked.

"Oh..." Haido chuckled. "I should've told you." He removed his white glove. Beneath it lay another black glove. There was a blue stone implanted in the black glove. It glowed.

"That's..." Temujin started.

In unison, Temujin and Kahiko said, "A stone of Gelel..."

Haido began to marvel at the stone, explaining things about it. He used it to blow up a pillar all the way across the room without even touching it. Then, Kahiko and Haido began to talk about how Haido got the Book of Gelel. He said he got it from a peddler.

"That's impossible!" Kahiko shouted. "There is only one way you could've gotten the Book of Gelel! You destroyed Temujin's village to get to it, didn't you?!" Temujin gasped. Then, his eyes narrowed.

"Let me help you," he whispered, helping me to standing. He stared at Haido all the while.

"If you _really _wanted peace, there is no _way _you would be after the stone of Gelel!" Kahiko prodded him with words. "I don't even have to look at you to know how black your heart really is!"

As we watched, a metal pedestal rose from the floor between two pillars. "What's this...?" Haido said, intrigued. "Can it be...? Aha! It is! The key to the Mines of Gelel!"

"No!" Kahiko shouted. "Don't touch it! That's not a good thing!"

Then, a small brown line darted towards Haido. He flung it back with ease. "Neragui!" I managed, coughing. I ran towards the ferret, who lay so still.

"Sen, don't...!" Temujin didn't finish his sentence. I was already at the ferret's side. I scooped him up lightly. He made no movement. Kahiko was by my side in an instant. As I cradled Neragui, something small clattered out of his mouth. Kahiko was sobbing.

"Oh, look. There was a stone in his mouth. How sad, the poor little dear. Ah well, yet another noble sacrifice to add to the list." He chuckled.

"Shut up!" I shouted. "I will _not _let Neragui be your sacrifice! He did nothing to you! And you let him die...just like everyone else. You have Knights at your command...You've had no taste of Shinobi power!" Gently, I handed Neragui over to Kahiko.

I ran at Haido, kunai drawn. I held my kunai in front of myself, ready to hurt someone. Mainly Haido.

"Sen, don't do that!" I heard Temujin yelling at me.

I swung my kunai, but was knocked backwards, so far that I hit Temujin and knocked us both to the ground. I pulled myself up, and apologized to Temujin. He shook his head and stood up.

"Ah, tsk, tsk..." Haido said. "We of higher ranks must make such _hard _decisions..."

"I've had just about enough of you," Kahiko said, sobbing still.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Well, it looks like there's going to be another sacrifice..." Using the Gelel stone, Haido shot Kahiko backwards. Temujin and I did nothing but stand and watch in awe. "Oh...it didn't work. Well, let's just try again, shall we?" He tried to shoot at Kahiko, and something deflected the blue power.

Temujin was no longer by my side. He was standing by Kahiko, sword drawn. Except this time, his sword was drawn to threaten. It was drawn to _protect. _Haido acquired a shocked look on his face, and slowly lowered his arm.

"Temujin, what on _earth _do you think you're doing?" Haido asked. Temujin bowed once more. _Pft. And people think _I'm _overly-respectful..._I thought.

"My apologies, Master, it's just that...well, the Mines of Gelel are already open to us. Must we really hurt this innocent old man? If we did, it would be a waste, and Sen-"

"That is most certainly _not _what I meant, Temujin." Temujin looked up at him. "Stay out of the way of my target."

"Master Haido..." Temujin whispered.

"You heard me: you're in my way. Move." Haido raised his hand out, and the stone glowed. Then, I was pushed down once again as something made its way to Kahiko. After the light cleared, I saw Naruto, holding Kahiko. Haido raised the stone to them again, and again, and again. Temujin simply sat there on his knees, looking down. I scrambled to my feet, ready in case of attack or misfire. "Temujin! What do you think you're doing, just sitting there?! Are you going to kill them, or just sit there like a lump?!" Like a robot, Temujin rose to his feet.

"Temujin," I whispered, "Please...don't do it..."

"Don't worry..." He whispered, seemingly to no one in particular. "I wouldn't dare..."

"Temujin...what are you doing?!" Haido said in a sing-song voice. "Aren't you going to kill them!?" I shook my head, silently mouthing the word 'no,' and hoping Temujin would see.

"I've had enough..." Temujin said, again whispering. "I don't want anyone else to die...I can't do it..."

Haido sighed. "I'm disappointed you feel that way, Temujin. You're weak, inferior. Just like your _parents..._"

"Huh?" Temujin looked up, surprised. I looked up, too. Haido was grinning in an evil way, worse than I had before.

"You're so _stupid, _Temujin. You latched on to the very man who murdered your family!" Then I remembered our conversation in the caravan, how ironic it was that this was happening...

_"Do you hate your brother?"_

_"Yeah, I suppose. But...I gotta live with him."_

_"You live with the person who killed your family...? Do you know how right that is and how much sense it really makes?"_

_"Yeah, I know it's not right. But one day I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna be the best Ninja I can be and kill him in recompense for what he did..."_

I heard Temujin whisper, "Just like Sen..." And I knew he remembered, too.

"You're such an adorable little pawn, Temujin," Haido purred. He stepped closer and closer to Temujin, using the stone to shoot randomly at him. "But now I know where the stones are...I don't need you, do I?" The power of the stone increased, and it ripped at his clothing. His shirt came off, his hat exploded, and his hair turned white and looked like he'd been in a bad windstorm that only blew to the right. Two little red dots hovered above his shoulders. The oddest part: His skin turned completely grey and his chest looked like he was wearing some kind of natural armor.

Haido grabbed Temujin by the neck, as he had with me before. I ran to help Temujin, and Haido only grabbed my by the hair. "Ha ha! Stupid children! Do you honestly think three children and an old man can outsmart me?!" He started laughing. Neither of us had our weapons, as mine had gone flying when I was flung into Temujin and Temujin's sword had been knocked away by the power of the stone. "I'm invincible!"

"You're nothing!" I shouted. "You're just a greedy man with no hopes or dreams!"

"Hmn...? You wish to argue with me? I dare you to say one more thing and see what happens," Haido threatened. I was willing.

"You never wanted peace in the first place! You've been living behind a lie your entire life, and you know it! We all know it!"

"How dare you," Haido growled. "I suppose you'd like to die. No matter: You'll just be another noble sacrifice." I realized what I'd done and began to struggle. He laughed. "Too late now!" I looked from Naruto, to Kahiko, to Temujin. None of them were able to help.

Haido pushed me to the ground, holding Temujin by the neck some distance away. He was holding me by the neck, too. I tried to kick at his stomach, but he only laughed. Finally, I stopped, and I looked right at Temujin. He gave me a pitiful look and tears welled in his eyes. I only smiled. Then, the stone of Gelel glowed brightly. I heard Naruto and Temujin both shout my name, but I was already too far on the brink of incoherency to respond. Before I knew it, everything went black.

--

"Sen, oh, please, wake up..." Someone purred quietly by my ear. The voice was desperate, pleading.

My eyes felt heavy, but I opened them anyway. Temujin was kneeling beside me. "Oh, thank goodness you're awake. I was worried."

"You shouldn't be..." I cringed as my hand began to throb again, "worried about me. L-look. N-Naruto...needs your help." I saw Naruto struggling to fight against the morphed Haido. The room, the room with the circles that looked like Leader's Rinnegan, was split apart, into five pieces. There was the Summoning Circle as a completely seperate platform, and the outer edge as four other parts. We were on one of the outer parts."How long have I..." I cringed again, "Been asleep?"

"Not long. Five minutes at best...Ah!" He doubled over in pain. My eyes widened, no matter how heavy they felt. I noticed a small trickle of blood on the side of his mouth.

"Temujin, y...you're injured..."

"I'll...be fine. Help Naruto."

"No, let me help _you. _Naruto's a big boy: he can handle himself. But you're injured." I sat up. "We need to do this quickly." Temujin removed the top part of his armor, and I unwound the bandages on my arms. _More than one use for these,_ I thought. I saw blood on Temujin's chest. "Not good, not good..." I mumbled, wrapping the bandages around him quickly. I heard Naruto yelling. Kahiko was as useless in the battle as I had been. Then again, he was only an old man. He couldn't do much for a fight. "Done," I declared quietly. "Be careful. I'm going to...help Naruto." As Temujin put his armor back on, I looked towards Naruto and Haido.

With that, I ran to the battle and quickly engaged myself in it. "Oh, so you finally decided to help me, huh?! Thanks a lot!" Naruto shotued at me.

"Yeah, isn't it great?!" I shouted back, smiling.

"I see you've come back to the world of the living for another world of pain, girl." Haido grinned maliciously as he threw a hit at me. Somehow, I dodged it. "This time, I won't be so merciful!"

"You ready for it, Naruto?!" I asked, loudly. Naruto knew already of my being a Jinchuuriki, and he knew her name also.

"The Taiga and the Kitsune or just me and you?!" He replied.

"It's up to you!"

"Just me and you, then! You ready?!"

"Oh, yeah!" I stepped back from the battle.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto managed. Two, three, four, nine more Naruto's appeared. They each threw hits at Haido, and he dodged each and every one of them.

Whispering, I said, "Dark Style: Painless Mercenary Jutsu..." Then, as the Genjutsu took effect, I let Tsume take control. "Behind you," We purred, speaking as one.

"Wha...?" Haido turned, too late. We dug our sharp nails into the softer flesh of his neck. Blood spilled down our hand and over his back. I must say 'we' and 'our' or Tsume may get mad I didn't include her.

"If I were you, I wouldn't move. Just stay still..." Haido was frozen to that area. We knew he felt the fake pain in his neck. Then, I spoke alone. "Naruto, now!"

"Come on, Temujin! Let's go!" Naruto began to run, and one clone appeared behind him. Temujin struggled to run, but he soon was able to run beside Naruto normally. He placed something in Naruto's hand, and a Gelel-style Rasengan appeared in that hand, normal Rasengan in the other. I noticed Haido beginning to realize I was only using a Genjutsu and his pain wasn't real.

"Hurry..." I whispered, struggling to keep the Jutsu going.

"No!" Haido screamed. But once again, he was too late. I removed the Genjutsu just in time, and Naruto hit him with the two Rasengan. Success. The first time Naruto and I got to use our practiced strategy in an actual battle, not in training with Kakashi sensei or Guy sensei, and we had succeeded. As I moved away from Haido, towards Naruto who had fallen, I head him laughing once more. "You foolish children! I'm not dead yet and I never-What?! _What is this?!" _I turned and saw, right where Naruto had hit him, something pink was bubbling. He screamed in agony and fell to the ground, dead.

And then the thing behind him, the key to the Mines, exploded and shattered. The entire area began to shake. Weak still, I fell to my knees. Temujin was trying to push himself up, and Naruto was only half standing, holding a wound. Loud crashes ensued, and stones began to fall from the ceiling.

"No, no, not now, please not now..." Kahiko moaned. "That's the Mine! The Mine of Gelel! When the key to the Mine was destroyed, the Mine itself opened up!" There was some kind of liquid blue stone above us, glowing and shining like a diamond, only in a liquid form. None of it fell, but it certainly did make the stones from the building itself fall.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Temujin shouted over the rising din.

"It means...it means the Mines are out of control, deadly!"

"What can we do about it?!" I asked.

"Nothing," Kahiko said, "unless..."

"Unless what?!" All three of us shouted in unison.

Temujin said, "There msut be something we can do! Th-that Summoning Circle! Can't we use that?!"

"It can only be used by that of the Royal Blood of my clan. You would have to put your hand in the center, and simply call forth to Summon."

"But...What does it summon, old man?!" Naruto shouted.

"It summons...a Space-Time Rift."

"A...a what now?" I said, shocked.

"A Space-Time Rift." Kahiko repeated. "The person who executes this Jutsu will be sacrificed, as the Rift will spawn from the very center of the circle."

"I understand." Temujin said, standing.

"No! I'm not gonna let you do it!" Naruto shouted. "Not you, not anyone el-" _Thud. _Naruto fell flat on his face. Temujin had hit him at a certain point in which he would pass out. A pressure-point, I believe Tsuba had called it.

I fell to my knees. "Temujin, please! Don't do it!" I begged. Tears welled in my eyes and inevitably spilled out. He turned to me, smiling sadly.

"I'm afraid I have to, Sen. This is the only way I can repay everyone for the things I've done..."

"You don't have to...!"

"Listen to me," He said, stepping closer. He lifted my chin towards his face, so we could look at each other from eye level. "Everything will be OK, I promise." With that, he closed his red eyes and leaned closer, kissing me on the lips the way Shino did. I said nothing in protest. Moreover, I didn't care. Tsume commented about the fact that Shino might get upset, but I said nothing. "Everything will be OK," Temujin said again.

"I understand," I said, looking away.

"I thought you 'understood nothing'?" He recounted from our conversation earlier.

"Everyone understands how to lie into danger's face," was my only answer.

Temujin started back towards the Ancient Summoning Circle, but stopped. "Sen," he said quietly, "Realize something for me, will you?"

"What is it, Temujin...?"

He looked over his shoulder at me, and I could only see the glimmer of sadness in one of his red eyes. "I'll never look at another girl the same way I look at you." With that, he continued to the Circle, wordlessly, silently.

"The two of you would've made a good couple, had this situation not come," Kahiko said.

"I've already got a boyfriend..." I said, without removing my watchful gaze from Temujin as he gracefully moved from platform to platforn. I swear, he would've done great in Taijutsu.

"Naruto...?" Kahiko asked. It was a good guess, really, as he had only ever seen Naruto and I laughing together.

I was barely aware to him speaking. "No," I giggled when I realized he said that, "No...not Naruto..."

And then the liquid stone fell, causing the image of Temujin to disappear. The stone smelled sweet and salty, reminding me of the ocean. Working together, Kahiko and I each took one of Naruto's arms and slung it over our shoulders, attempting to lift him. And as all sound became absent, so did all sight.

One voice broke the sightlessness and soundlessness. "N...No...Pu-put me down." Naruto began to struggle. I released him immediately, and Kahiko was soon to do the same. Using the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu, Naruto ran through the liquid stone, and towards the direction in which Temujin went. The last straggling clone signalled for me to follow. I smiled, knowing what he was doing.

We came to the edge, and each clone latched on to the other's feet, the real Naruto at the very end. I was in charge of holding them on the platform. They all relied on me. I held on to one of the clone's ankles, and made sure none of them were going anywhere. I heard voices.

"H-hey! What do you think you're doing?! Let go! You're going to die!"

"Whatever you do, don't let go! I don't wanna hear you complaining, OK?!"

The clones began to come up slowly, one after the other.

"Let go! You'll get pulled into the rift!"

"Shut up! You hear me?! Sen's not lettin' go, and neither am I! I trust her, and as long as I trust her, I"m not gonna let any of us die here like this, OK?! We've both lost too many important people already, and we're not losing you!"

I closed my eyes, feeling like laughing, but then things went black, and I'm still not sure if I was able to hold on to them or not. I'm not even sure if we actually fell, or if we stayed together after all.

--

I moaned as I sat up. The smell of new leaves invaded my senses. And trust me, I know what new leaves smell like. Darkness surrounded me, but there was a beautiful blue sky above me, allowing some light in. Just enough to see who and what was around me. Temujin to my right and Naruto to my left, both of them passed out. Joy overcame me. I scrambled to my knees and shook Temujin.

"T-Temujin! W-wake up! We're a-alive! _You're _alive! Come on, it's me! It's...it's Sen! Wake up!" His eyes opened slightly, and I could tell his vision was swimming still. I waved my hand in front of his eyes and laughed.

"What...Where...where are we...?" He whispered.

"Who cares?!" I said, laughing again. "We're alive aren't we?!" Temujin was silent, his mouth open slightly. My laughter quickly faded away to a disappointed frown. "You're...you're not happy...are you...?" And then, as I stared at him, stared him in the eyes, I realized something about his once beautifully red eyes.

His eyes were no longer that beautiful, bloody shade of red. In fact, they were an even more beautiful blue.

"Say my name, let me know I'm still alive..." He seemed unable to get his voice much above a whisper.

"Temujin." I did as he said. "You _are _alive, Temujin. See? Temujin, Temujin, Temujin, Temujin!" He still didn't smile. "Be happy. Why aren't you happy...?" I frowned, feeling all mine and Naruto's efforts gone to waste.

And then, a small, pleased smile spread across his face. "I tricked you." I looked at him, confused, and he laughed. "I _am _happy. I just wanted to trick you. Thank you, and Naruto, for saving me. I owe you two." He sat up, and I hugged him tightly. "You looked so cute when you were sad," He whispered in my ear, chuckling.

"I hate you," I whispered, tears welling.

"I hate you, too, but you're so gullible," he whispered back.

"Not...f-funny." I wiped tears from my eyes. I turned to Naruto, and began trying to wake him up.

He moaned, "Nooooooooo...I don't wanna get up now, Iruka sensei...The Academy can wait..."

"Naruto," I purred by his ear, "It's me."

He jolted upright, eyes open. Temujin laughed. "Holy crap, Sen! Don't ever do that to me!" I started cracking up laughing. And soon, Naruto joined in our laughing fit, too.

"Sen, Naruto!" Came a familiar male voice. We didn't hear it very well, because of our outrageous laughter.

"Alright, Naruto, you dummie! Where are you?! Senari! Hello?!" Kaede's voice interrupted us, and it frightened Naruto.

I looked around myself and saw Kaede waving her arm in the air, looking like she was about to explode. Shikamaru and Sakura stood beside her. Behind them were Gaara and Kankuro. I smiled at Temujin. "You need to meet my friends, Temujin, in a nice way this time," I told him. He nodded.

I heard Kaede shout, "Senari! What the hell do you think you're doing, just ignoring me like that?!"

"Sorry!" I shouted back. "Come here!" I motioned with my hand for her to come, and she ran, Gaara trailing lazily behind. I stood up, turned around, and offered my hand to Temujin. He stared at it, confused. "Well, you didn't want Naruto's hand in help. Do you want mine?" I asked, smiling. Then, he smiled, too, and grabbed my hand. I helped him up. Kaede finally came to a stop a few feet away from me. Naruto stood up on his own. "Kaede, now that we're all OK with each other, I'd like you to meet my friend, Temujin."

"Oh hey, you're the one who opened the rift-y thing-y, aren't you? Yeah, I almost fell into that damn thing, but Gaara kun saved me." She turned to Gaara smiling. He did nothing.

"Temujin, these are some of my other friends," I said. "Shikamaru, Sakura, Gaara, and Kankuro." I giggled, " And of course you know Naruto."

"It's very nice to meet you all," Temujin said politely, looking at my friends. "Any friend of Sen's must be as good and caring a person as she." Kaede and I exchanged silent glances, the Akatsuki on our minds.

--

"Sen," Temujin said. I ran to him, happily bouncing along. He laughed. "I'd like you to meet my friends now." And so, he introduced me to four of the boys and girls that Shikamaru and Kankuro had saved.

I bowed to all four of them. "Hello! It's so good to see Temujin has comrades now! Isn't that right Temujin?" I threw my arm around his neck and leaned on him playfully. We both started laughing.

"Sen, quit!" He managed between laughs.

"Aw, why? These are the last moments before you guys take off!" I laughed again.

"Well, I suppose I doesn't hurt!"

"Of course not!" I tried to calm down and breathe, but I just kept laughing. Mine and Temujin's antics had gotten even his friends laughing. I felt eyes watching me, but I knew it was only Kahiko, Sakura, Shikamaru, and Kaede. I don't know where Naruto was, but he was somewhere.

"Temujin," One of his friends said, "It's time we got going. I'm afraid you'll have to say goodbye."

"Oh, now? Well, alright." Temujin frowned. I hugged him and, for once since we met, he actually hugged me back. "Goodbye, Sen. I hope we meet again some day."

"Hope? What're you talking about?! Of course we'll meet again! And real soon, too! Maybe then you can meet my boyfriend and I'll have rid myself of my brother! Sound good?"

He chuckled. "Sounds good to me. Goodbye..."

I ruffled his hair playfully. "Never say goodbye. Those are forever. I choose to say 'Hello, world!' It's a lot easier, and that way I know I'll see all my friends again, no matter how old I get!"

As I walked off the boat, I waved to Temujin, and he shouted, "Well, if that's how you do it, then...Hello, Sen! I can't wait to see you again!"

"Me either! Hello!" I laughed and waved. Then, once I was completely off the boat, I realized something, and started running down the port, in the direction the boat would be moving.

An orange-clad figure stood on a cliff. I ran, and the boat began to catch up. I increased my speed and reached Naruto's side at the right time. Temujin was not smiling. Naruto clenched his fist and raised it, and then Temujin did the same. I wanted to shout something to him, but couldn't find the words. We stood side by side, waving to Temujin until we could no longer see him. I turned to Naruto and smiled.

The only three words that made it out of my mouth, "That was fun."


	23. Instigation of Hate 23

**Heartache Prevention**

After we were back in Konohagakure, I realized something. I knew I should've realized it earlier, before I even made friends here: This was only a mission, we were leaving at one point in time, and I'd never get Zetsu to let me stay. And even if he gave me a choice, I know he'd ask why I wanted to stay, and I'd have to tell him I had friends. And who knows what he could do if he found out I had more friends than allowed. I knew: I knew better than I wanted to. He would kill them, Shino, Leri, Kaara, Kaede (if he could), Amaya, all of them. Even Naruto, even though he wasn't supposed to hurt him at all.

So I found only one solution: Ignorance is bliss.

I started training by myself when no one was in the training fields. I didn't go to training with Lee kun, Ten Ten, Neji, and Guy sensei. I ignored everyone I had known, even Shino.

--

"Hey! Bushy Brow! Give that back!" Amaya laughed and jumped to get her headband from Lee kun. Lee kun was laughing along with her.

"Check this out, Hinata," Naruto said, displaying the Rasengan.

"Aw, that's nothin'. Watch _this," _Kiba and Akamaru showed Hinata the Man-Beast-Clone.

Naruto and Kiba said at the same time, "So who's cooler?" Hinata's face turned red.

"This is not working..." Shino mumbled under his breath.

"Of course it's not working," Unmei retorted, "Not with _Naruto's loud mouth _scaring away all the bugs!"

"Ten Ten, why do you use Ninja Tools all the time?" Neji asked.

"I don't know. Don't ask me that," she replied.

"Sasuke'd be mine if he hadn't left!" Ino shouted.

"He'd be mine! He'd never like you, Ino-pig!" Sakura replied, steaming with rage.

"Hey, Shikamaru, you hungry?" Choji walked to Shikamaru, who was laying lazily beneath the clouds.

"Yeah, sure. What'cha got with you?" He sat up as Choji continued to talk.

All these conversations continued without me. The only other person who was silent was Kaarayomihi, which was unusual for him. It was a gathering of the young Leaf Shinobi. Except three of us weren't Leaf Shinobi, and one was missing. He would be missing for quite sometime, and who knew when he would return. No minds dared to dwell on thoughts of him, as merely his name was taboo now.

"Sen," Kaara finally spoke, "Why are you ignoring us all?"

"I'm sorry: I must do this for my own good and for your good. All of you..."

Kaara sighed. "Let me guess: Does it have _anything _to do with Zetsu?"

"Yes."

"Figures." And he was silent once more.

"Hey, Sen," Amaya bounded over to me, laughing. "Why don't you come join the fun?"

I said nothing. I simply looked away.

"Sen?" She asked again.

I stood up from the picnic table and walked through the myriad of teenage Shinobi. I said not a word to any of them, I didn't wave, and I didn't smile. I kept my eyes to the ground. Such literal ignorance continued for a week or two, before someone had had enough.

--

_Knock, knock._

I leaned back in my chair, moaning. I had finally gotten to an interesting part in my book, and now someone was interrupting it. I hated it when that happened. I put a bookmark in it and sat it on the desk.

_Knock, knock, _the door sounded again.

"Hold on!" I shouted, irritated. I heard voice outside the door, two of them.

"Aburame, I'm only doing this for Sen."

"I _understand."_

"Realize, I'm never tolerating you like this again, got it?"

"Got it."

And then I opened the door. There stood Shino, hands in his pockets as always, and Kaede, her arms crossed in an irritated stance. I half-smiled, and my eye twitched.

"Oh...Hello. Won't you...come in?" I invited them. Kaede took the invitation immediately, sitting right down on my bed. Shino hesitated a little, looking at me. After he entered, I closed the door behind them. He said I should probably sit down, and I sat down at my desk, where I had been before.

"Sen," Shino began, standing beside the bed, but away from Kaede, almost in fear.

Kaede finished, "We need to talk to you."

I smiled again, faking it. "Why are you ignoring us?" Shino asked. "You've got Amaya in tears, Lee confused, Kaede ticked off, and I'm frankly concerned."

Kaede added in, "And you _know _I _hate _being ignored, Senari."

I giggled fakely. "What do you mean? I'm not ignoring anyone."

They didn't believe me. Kaede scoffed and Shino crossed his arms, looking at me over the top of his glasses, just enough so I could see his eyes. Oh, how could I lie to those eyes?! I sighed. "OK, I'll tell you, but...one thing. I can only tell Kaede. There's something, Shino, something about that you just shouldn't know yet. It's...it's better if you don't know."

He looked as if he were about to protest, but Kaede glared at him. "Knock on the front door when I can come back in," he said, before walking out of the front door. I turned to Kaede.

"Spit it out," she demanded quietly, so as Shino didn't hear.

I hung my head in shame. "Brother told me-"

"_Oh, _no! Here we go again, with the Zetsu thing! I swear, one day, he's gonna restrict you so much from things you should know, you'll die. How did I know this had something to do with your brother? Ah, forget it. Continue."

"Do...do you remember Mizuiro?" I asked. "The girl with the white hair?" Kaede looked confused. "The one that Brother..." Then she nodded, her eyes growing wide. "Yes, well...Brother said I'm not supposed to have any friends other than you and Kaarayomihi, remember? Or else he'd do to them what he did to Mizuiro. Not decapitate them, persay, but kill them somehow. If he knew about Shino...if he knew I was dating him...He'd do worse than just kill him like he did Mizuiro."

"I hate your brother," she said, eyes narrowed.

"I do, too."

"You're at the right age: you need friends! Your brother's not letting you! I swear, I'm gonna...grrr..." Kaede growled in frustration. "Just ignore him, OK? He doesn't mean anything. He'll be dead before you are, with the way he acts. Don't ignore everyone." I nodded, smiling feebly. "Alright, Aburame," she shouted, "You can come back in!" Shino walked in quietly.

"You needn't be so loud, Kaede." Shino turned to me, hiding a smile. "How did it go?"

"Everthing's fine now," I said, faking another smile. "Kaede helped me fix it." Kaede left, and I talked with Shino for a while, evading everything he said about why I was ignoring everyone. He'd never know.

I hoped.

**Taka Ishi's First Concert**

I never thought Taka Ishi would get much more popular than an inside thing. I figured we'd have hopes and dreams, but never that we might actually have _fans. _We had come up with about ten songs; eight fast songs, only two slow songs. One of the fast songs was a redone version of Natsushiboshi, and I really liked it. I wondered what Kei and Sumaru might think if they ever listened to it. All of the songs were rock: Choji and Shikamaru said that's what they liked.

And then Shikaku got us a deal. We were going to be playing one night near the Ninja Academy. He didn't say how much we'd be paid, but he said Choji and I were allowed ot come and practice with Shikamaru whenever we needed to. So, Choji and I went over four days out of the week to practice and before we knew it, it came the night of the concert.

We got a little wagon to put our instruments in along with the cords. Shikaku took them to the stage we would be performing on, while the three of us stayed behind to get things ready. I was nervous. Shikamaru's mom was helping us get our hair done up really neat and put on 'stage makeup,' as she called it. Shikamaru used temporary red dye in the ends of his hair and, surprisingly, you could see it really well. His mom put blue streaks in my hair, and dye the ends of Choji's green. The blue in my hair looked so odd, so foreign.

"Oh, I can't believe my little baby's in a band! He's so grown up now!" She exclaimed as she put Shikamaru's hair back in a ponytail.

He blushed and looked away. "Mom," he moaned, "not in front of my friends."

"Oh, everything's about friends now to you, isn't it? No time for your poor mother. Go, finish getting ready. I'm done." Shikamaru stood up and walked to wear Choji and I were. We changed our outfits a little. Shikamaru was wearing a fishnet shirt and a pair of black pants, not much different from his normal attire. His earrings were all spiky, but still dangling, and were red. I wore a black shirt that was cut right above my belly button and a black skirt with something blue-and-white striped that Shikamaru's mom called 'pantyhose' or 'tights.' I'd never seen them before in my life. Choji was wearing all black, too, only his outfit was bland. He was wearing a green tie the same shade as the ends of his hair.

When Shikaku returned with the horse-drawn-wagon, we all hopped in the back. Shikamaru's mom was going to be coming later. It was already really dark out, and I could scarcely see Shikamaru or Choji sitting beside me. Shikaku talked the entire way. My stomach was churning.

"Sen, you gonna be alright?" Shikamaru asked, seeing I felt queasy.

"Hmn...? Oh, oh, yeah...I'll be fine. Just...nervous, that's all." I attempted a smile and failed miserably. Shikamaru laughed. "What am I supposed to say when i get on stage?"

"Just be yourself, you know, the hyper you. Ask 'em if they're ready to rock or somethin'. People always fall for that. Make sure you talk _clearly _into the microphone, OK? Speak _loudly. _I know you can talk loudly," He accused. I blushed.

--

Finally, the concert began. I grabbed the microphone and started, "Hey, my name is Sen, and this is the rest of Taka Ishi!" I handed the microphone to Shikamaru, he said his name, and then he handed it to Choji, who said his name, then handed it back to me. "Are you guys ready to rock?!" I asked, taking Shikamaru's advice. I was answered with a scream from the crowd. I turned to Shikamaru. He smiled and nodded. I placed the microphone back on it's stand and the music began.

It was the first song we'd made, and the first song we'd be playing. I finally got used to talking on the stage, singing, and playing the keyboard in front of everyone. I could tell they liked the music. I saw a few recognizable faces in the crowd: Amaya, Shino, Ten Ten, Unmei, and Naruto. The rest were complete strangers. As I sang our one and only love song, one of the slow ones, I looked straight at Shino, and I could tell he was smiling. The song was a two-part for the vocals, and Shikamaru was the other vocal, but I don't know if he was looking at anyone. After we finished, I told the crowd that they were awesome and said goodnight. And that was that. On our ride back to Shikamaru's house, Shikaku asked us what we thought of Taka Ishi's first concert.

The only thing I said, "We should do another one sometime!"

**Not A Girl?!**

I hummed slowly as I dipped my hands in the cool water of the stream, trying not to squish the delicate roots between my fingers. I had been alone all day, not speaking to a soul. Honestly, I hadn't seen anyone worth talking to that morning. I did the only thing I could think of: Go save plants!

It wasn't that bad a job, really. You could probably guess why I did it, if you think about it hard enough. I knew of a small freshwater spring and stream not that far into the Forest of Death. Sure, it was dangerous. Sure, I could've probably died, but hey, I liked risk. I liked the _thrill _of danger, the _adrenaline _of staring death in the face. I was putting the roots of a small, dying blue flower in the cool water, using my Chakra to enourage the plant to drink, causing it to absorb the water faster than normal. I could feel the water coursing through the tiny roots.

"Senari, what do you think you're doing?" I turned, shocked, to see Amaya. She was standing with her hands on her hips, a cross look on her face.

"Oh, hello, Amaya. How are you?" I smiled at her.

"I've had enough of this."

"Enough of what?" I frowned.

"You! You're not acting like a girl!" My eyes grew wide. "I'm gonna teach you how to be a girl, got it?"

"A-Amaya, I don't really think-"

"Hush! I'm gonna teach you to be a girl, and you're gonna like it, understood?"

"Understood..." I hung my head. And so, for the next few weeks, Amaya made me wear skirts and dresses to training. She made me wear pinks and purples. She told me all sorts of things about acting female. I felt like going off on her about being sexist the way I had on Temujin, but I didn't. When I went to training the first day in a skirt, none of my teammates recognized me until I beat Neji in a fight and Lee kun in a race.

I'm sure if it backfired or worked.

--

Some of the other Shinobi had been sent on a mission, some were just busy. I was stuck training with Shino, Unmei, Amaya, and Kiba. That was one of the days Amaya made me wear a skirt. She had given me a little more leniency and allowed me to wear a red pleated skirt with a black shirt that had a heart on it. I still refused to move my headband from my waist.

I smiled and stuck out my fist like Naruto might. "You ready, Unmei? I'm not going easy on you."

She grinned from a little bit away, and strung her bow. "I'm not going easy on you, either." Her yellow eye glinted in the sunlight.

From in the trees, I heard Shino say go. As I expected, Unmei used her bow and arrows first. She was a very good archer, and could easily hit a moving target. She held the record of stringing her bow the fastest in Iwagakure, too. I expected her to excel in something odd. After all, she was Sensei's sister.

She flung arrows at me and I did constant backflips to keep myself from being hit. I tried to get closer to her. I threw two shuriken at her, and she doged both of them while still shooting an arrow at me. Once in a while, Kiba yelled at her because she aimed her arrows too high and almost hit him. Finally, as I did a backflip, I felt a shuriken go through the back of my leg. I screamed and fell.

Unmei ran to me. "I thought you didn't use shuriken, Unmei. Good blindside," I said, wincing as I pulled the shuriken out, careful not to touch the edges. Crimson blood was dripping from it.

"I _don't _use shuriken. I didn't throw that, Sen." She said.

"If you didn't, then who did?" I asked, puzzled. "Shino, Kiba, Amaya, did you guys see who threw this?"

"I threw it!" Came an irritating male voice. I knew it wasn't Naruto, nor was it anyone I knew. The other three came out of the trees and landed with Unmei and I. Shino helped me up, even though I said I didn't need help. We could see no one, no one that the voice had belonged to.

"Who's there?!" I challenged them, leaning on Shino for support.

Then he came out of the shadows. He was wearing a mask similar to Kakashi sensei's, only it went up to his nose and didn't cover his eyes. He wore a simple tight hat that didn't show his hair. He was dressed in the Jounin attire of Iwagakure.

"Hunter Nin from Iwagakure, at your service." He bowed. "Which one of you is Senari Uchiha?" Recognizing that as my title from Kusagakure, I raised my hand. Since Kei had been an Uchiha, I had taken his last name as my own, declaring him as my father. I wasn't really an Uchiha, as you know. "Prepare to die." He drew a katana, and came at me.

"I've had about enough of you!" I shouted. I pressed my hands into the earth and my friends backed up. The sudden _whoosh _of air sent my skirt up a little, but not very far. Over the sound of the air being split by the speed of the vines, and over the dying screams of the Iwa Nin, I heard a few voices.

The first was Amaya's. "Shino, you pervert, quit staring!"

The second was Shino's. "I'm not staring!"

After that was over, I felt like fainting. I tried to keep standing, but I leaned backwards and Shino caught me. "We should probably quit training for today," he said.

**Onbu**

I was holding Shichi like a little kid might hold a kitten. It didn't hurt her, and I think she liked it. I was walking with Kaarayomihi, who had his hands behind his head like Naruto often did. Styx was eyeing Shichi nervously, but Shichi was too busy gawking at people to notice. I still hadn't figured out what that long-eared fuzzball was.

We were headed away from training today, with Team Guy. Kaara had, for some reason, decided to train with us today. He was complaining to me how horribly hard training was.

"Kaara, you should be happy. Guy sensei made us do less than half of the things he normally does because _you _were there. Imagine what every day is like." Kaara cringed at the thought. I laughed, and Shichi looked up at me like there was something wrong.

Then I saw Naruto.

I waved my hand in the air and yelled, "Naruto san! Hey! Over here!" He looked and smiled before running towards me and Kaarayomihi.

"Hey, Sen. Hey, Kaara." Naruto stopped, panting for breath. I saw a little tuft of brown fur peek up over his shoulder.

"Uh...Naruto san..." I said, trying to peer over his shoulder but not succeeding. "What's...what's that on your back...?"

"What?" Naruto asked, confused. "There's not..."

"Uh...yeah, there is," Kaara said, noticing it, too. "It's like fuzzy and pale brown." He looked at Naruto, frowning. "How long's it been since you washed that outfit?"

"Wha...why?" Naruto asked.

"Did some bird crap on your back a few weeks ago and you just didn't wash your outfit so you let it mold?" Kaara returned.

I couldn't help but laugh. Shichi screeched loudly, signalling that she smelled something. She began to wiggle in my arms. "Hold still, Naruto san, OK?" He didn't move as I walked around him.

I almost screamed.

My hand flew to my mouth and I emitted a tiny little squeak. Something pale brown and furry was attatched to Naruto's back. He took this the wrong way and spun around quickly. "What, what's wrong? What is it?"

"It's...it's...a...I...I'm not...t-turn around. J-just turn around." He turned around again. The furry thing craned, what seemed to be, a head back and looked at me.

"Onbuuuuu!" It cried. I jumped, and so did Naruto. Styx and Shichi both seemed curious.

"N-Naruto..." My voice quaked. "What...what've you been doing lately...?"

"Well, this morning I...I went to train alone and then something big knocked me out. I woke up and I was OK..."

"You're _not _OK!" Kaara and I shouted at the same time.

"What should I do...?" Naruto said. "I can't get it off." He began to try to pull the little creature off. It only squealed in protest and clung on tighter.

"Well...here," Kaara offered, "let me see if I can't manipulate it." Kaara did a few hand signs. "Secret Jutsu: Animal Manipulation Jutsu!" The small creature screamed and cried at the invasion of its mind.

"Kaara, stop." I said, looking at the little monstrosity with sympathy. He didn't stop. "Kaara, I said, stop it." Nothing. Finally, I put Shichi down and shoved Kaara so hard he fell down. "I said stop!"

"Sorry," he apologized nonchalantly.

The little creature looked at me with big, round eyes. "Ohhh..." I sighed.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"It's actually kind of cute," I said. I remembered how I had gotten Neragui off Naruto's face on the last mission. I handed Shichi to Kaara. "Hold her," I demanded.

"What?! Why am_ I _stuck with this thing?!" He protested. I glared at him.

"What're you doing...?" Naruto asked, sounding nervous.

"I'm seeing if I can't get it off." By now, several people were watching us, intrigued. "My theory is that it'll come off if it finds someone who treats it nicely. At the least, it'll losen its grip enough to pull it off." I stroked the small animal lightly, like I had with Neragui. It closed its eyes happily, but its grip didn't losen not one bit. In fact, it tightened its grip. Naruto screamed. I frowned. "Well..." I stood in front of Naruto, my hands on my hips. "There's only one solution for this now."

Naruto's right eye was watering and twitching, and his lips were pursed. "Wh...what...?" He managed.

"Kaara, you and Shichi follow, OK? Shichi, don't be _too _violent with Kaarayomihi. I don't expect you to be able to keep up." I turned to Naruto and grabbed the sleeve of his jacket. His eyes grew wide.

"Sen..." He said slowly. "What are you doing...?" I smiled warmly, turned, and began to run. I heard Naruto scream.

"Almost there!" I said, making sure he heard me.

"Slow down!" He yelled.

"No way!" I laughed. The world sped past us, and I could only see the two of us. Kaara was already who-knows-how-far behind us.

Then, I stopped. In front of us stood the Hokage's mansion. Naruto yelled at me, "What was that for?! I hate it when you do that, and you know it!" The little animal laughed in some kind of odd way and was smiling.

"We're here." I smiled and, without letting go of his jacket, led him to Lady Tsunade's office. He grumbled the whole way there.

Outside the door stood Genma and Raido. I smiled to them and bowed without letting go of Naruto's jacket, causing him to bow, too. "Good afternoon, sirs. Does Lady Tsunade happen to be busy, or may my friend and I speak with her?" The two men smiled back.

"She's not busy right now. You can go in, if you like." Genma said.

I bowed again, once more forcing Naruto to bow, too. "Thank you, gentlemen. Very much appreciated." I walked past Genma and Raido.

"Uh...one last thing," came Raido's voice. Naruto and I stopped and turned. "Naruto, don't agitate her, OK? She's not in a good mood." Naruto turned to me, a frightened expression on his face.

"Sen...do we have to do this today...?" He moaned.

I hissed in his ear, "You want that thing off your back, don't you?" He nodded. "Then _let's go!" _I walked into Lady's Tsunade's office, Naruto trudging along behind me.

Lady Tsunade sat at her desk, mumbling and filtering through papers. She looked up at the sound of the door closing. Naruto hid behind me. Her glossy lips spread into a smile when she saw me.

"Ah, Sen, so nice to see a friendly face around here. I've been having nightmares about dancing papers. Shizune's not here now -- she took TonTon for a walk -- but she did ask to see how you are." Lady Tsunade put down her pen. She folded her hands under her chin and rested her head on them.

"I'm well, ma'am, and I'm happy to see you are in good health as well. As for the nightmares," I giggled fakely, "I'm afraid I can't help you there. Tell Shizune I'd like to see her again sometime, if you will. But for now, Lady Hokage...My friend and I...have a problem. We need your help."

Lady Tsunade raised and eyebrow, obviously not seeing Naruto hidden behind me. "_Friend, _you say? Sen, oh dear...if this is one of those 'my friend likes a certain boy' things, please be straightforward with me. Whom is it you like?"

I blushed. "Oh, no, ma'am! I've already got a boyfriend!" I looked away for a moment. "You see, this friend of mine is male...and you'll recognize him. His is the problem we need solved...We can't seem to fix it ourselves, and so we came to you, as a reknown Medical Ninja, to see if you might be able to fix it." Lady Tsunade's eyes grew wide, and I realized what she thought the problem was. I heard Naruto laughing his head off behind me. Quickly, I said, "No, no, you've got it all wrong, ma'am! It's not that, it's...ohhhhhh, dear...I can't explain it well enough. Naruto...it's best if you do." I let go of his sleeve and Naruto, with some reluctance, came out from behind me, hands behind his head.

"Man, that's the funniest thing I've heard in a long time!" He said, amused. I blushed and looked down at my feet. "Well, what Sen was trying to say is this. I was training alone today, and I heard this splat noise. I thought it was bird crap, so I turned and looked. There was nothing there, so I continued home. When I came back, I ran into Kaara and Sen and they saw somethin' on my back. They couldn't get it off. Do you know what it is?" Naruto turned around and showed Lady Tsunade the little monstrosity.

She jumped and screamed. Naruto frowned and rolled his eyes. "What is it, Lady Tsunade?" I asked, worried. She calmed down and looked at it. It squealed and she seemed alarmed.

"Impossible..." She whispered. Naruto and I asked what it was at the same time. "I didn't think he was telling the truth..." She cleared her throat and spoke louder. "Have you children ever heard the story of the Legendary Onbaa?"

"What's an Onbaa?" Naruto asked.

"Well, when Jiraiya and I were younger -- I can't believe I just said that -- he spent two nights camping in one of the forests on the outskirts of this village. He said he was going to find out if there really were Onbaa. When he came back, he told this out-of-proportion tale. He said he had fought an Onbaa, and won. Of course, we were only a smidge older than the two of you, and Jiraiya was in no way reliable. I didn't believe him. And now here it is, living proof of the Onbaa." Lady Tsunade sat down in her chair, one hand on her forehead, and shook her head. "Inconceivable..."

"But you didn't answer our question! C'mon, Grandma Tsunade, what's an Onbaa?!" Naruto asked again.

"Naruto! Be respectful!" I hissed.

"An Onbaa is simply this, Naruto. They are a legendary race of monkey-like creatures. They grow to nine feet tall, and are supposedly very protective of their young. Once a baby Onbaa latches on to its mother, it doesn't let go until it's full grown." She and I both giggled, understanding the point. "Meaning, Naruto, that you're going to have to carry that thing on your back until it's nine feet tall."

"_WHAT?!" _Naruto shouted, his eyes going wide. Lady Tsunade and I began to laugh. "Not fair! I don't wanna carry this thing! Why can't Sen carry it?! She thinks it's cute!"

I put one hand on Naruto's shoulder and said, "Aw, Naruto, I'm not nearly as strong as you. You're strong enough to carry it until it gets that big: I'm not. Be nice to a weak girl, save me some pain, won't you...?" I started laughing again. We all knew I wasn't serious, and was only taunting Naruto so he would carry the little Onbaa.

"Why do you taunt me so much?!" He moaned.

"Because you're funny, Naruto," I returned.

"Uh...what'd I miss here...?" Kaara came in, a blank look on his face. Lady Tsunade and I looked from him to Naruto, and burst out laughing once more. Shichi ran to me screaming 'shiiiiii.' Lady Tsunade explained it to him, and he, too, started laughing.

--

"Hey, Sen, what's the matter? Are you not hungry?" Shino looked at me, worried. I stirred the ramen over and over with my chopsticks, not looking up. I hadn't taken a single bite since I bought it. I felt Shino's hand on my shoulder. "Hello?"

I looked up. "I'm fine." He frowned. "OK, OK. I'm worried...about Naruto."

"Why?" Shino looked confused from behind his glasses. Then Teuchi -- the man who runs Ichiraku Ramen -- joined in our conversation. I had started working not too long ago at Ichiraku for a little off-mission money when we came back from the mission with Temujin.

"What did Naruto do this time? It never fails: that boy always gets himself in trouble. I remember he came here for a bowl of ramen when he was supposed to be in the hospital recovering." Teuchi chuckled and I smiled.

I told the two of them the whole story. "I just hope Naruto san didn't buckle under all that weight. Lady Tsunade did say that Onbaa were veyr protective of their infants. Ohhh...I hope the mother didn't attack him. He's been gone a while. Too long." I sighed.

Shino wrapped one arm around around my shoulders. "Naruto will be OK. He's more determined than anyone I've known. Even _if _after all that time, he still didn't like the Onbaa, he'll still be determined to get it back to the wild in one piece." Shino kissed me right below my eye, and somehow, I forced a smile. "C'mon, you haven't eaten in a while. You need to eat _something._" I ate my ramen slowly, noodle-by-noodle while I listened to Teuchi and Shino conversing. Despite what Shino had said, I still worried about Naruto.

--

"Shiiiiiiiii! Shiiii!" Shichi screamed and wiggled in my arms. She jumped out of my grip and ran through the throng of people. I ran after her.

"Sen? Hey, where're you going?" Shino asked, running after _me._

"Shichi smells something!" I said, following the small white streak as it rushed through the crowd. Finally, Shichi came to a stop outside of the crowd, right by the Village Gate. I picked her up. "There you are..."

I felt Shino grab my hand. "What was that?"

"I don't kno-- Look!" I said, pointing. A white and orange figure was lumbering closer and closer to the village.

"What is that?" He asked.

"I...I think it's Naruto! Ohhhh...he doesn't look good..." I had two reasons for being so worried about Naruto: One, he was my friend. Two, it was my job to make sure that he was an open target to the Akatsuki, not dead.

As the figure came closer, I remembered the warm, white fur from when I was younger, after I left Kusagakure, and I remembered what Jiraiya said the first time he saw me:

_"Y-you! You're that girl that was with the Onbaa five years ago!"_

So, that thing that had knocked me out when I was younger had been an Onbaa. Most likely a mother, I assumed.

The figure finally got close enough that I could make out what it was. It was an Onbaa, carrying a battered and bruised Naruto. The fur was completely white, like my skin, only a little dirtier. Its blue eyes sparkled with fright as it sat Naruto down in front of Shino and I.

"Onbu?" I asked the creature. Onbu was the name that Naruto had given the little creature on his back.

"Onbuuuuu!" It returned. Shichi squealed back, happily. She jumped out of my arms and nuzzled Onbu's feet. Onbu picked her up gently, stroked her, and handed her back to me.

A larger Onbaa stood behind Onbu. "Is that your mother, Onbu?" I smiled. Onbu nodded. His mother growled, but not menacingly, only as if to tell him something. Onbu began to walk away. Holding Shichi like a kitten, I waved my arm high in the air. "Goodbye, Onbu!" I knew I would never see him again, so I found it fitting to say goodbye for once. Naruto moaned and sat up. "Naruto! Look! It's Onbu!" Naruto waved, too, as Onbu walked away. I turned to Naruto, smiling. "You're a good mother, Naruto." He gritted his teeth angrily.

"Shut up! I am _not _a mother!" He acted as if to hit me, and I squealed, hiding behind Shino.

"Shino, save me!"

"What if I don't?" He stepped to the side. All the way home, the three of us joked around like that.

**Love**

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be asleep? At home?" The wind blew cold air in my face as I stared blankly into the dark waters of the lake. The loving, friendly voice was barely audible to me. My hair blew about my face wildly, stuck to my lips, stuck to the tear marks on my face. I had been crying, I had been alone. Behind me was a dark forest. In front lay black waters. To my left and right was nothing but short grass. Short to me, very long to others. Others such as my friends. Above me was the equally black sky, dotted with glowing white dots. Dots I saw sparingly in Kusagakure.

"Sen...?" Came the worried voice again.

It broke my concentration. "Yes...?"

"Why aren't you at home, asleep? It's almost midnight." The voice was recognizable as only Shino's.

"Couldn't sleep," I mumbled.

"I'm worried about you. Why haven't you been sleeping?" Something kept him from coming closer. Fear, anxieties, worries, who knew. He didn't touch me, didn't come within arm's length. I didn't dare turn to look at him, for fear of what Tsume could make me do.

"Why? Why are you worried? Amaya told me that you've never gone out of your way for anyone. Why me?"

"I don't know. Please, just--"

"Do you know the things I've seen? The things I've done?" Horrid memories flashed through my mind, the dying scream of every person I had ever killed, ever ignored as they died. Perhaps Sensei was right. Perhaps I _was_ going to kill a thousand people.

"What?"

"I know things no one would ever want to know. Some things that..." I sighed and closed my eyes. "Oh, how lucky you are, Shino."

"Why?"

"You've had a perfect life. You've lost no one so close as I have, you've had no restrictions of friends. You've loved someone before."

"Not like you."

"'Not like you...' Heh. There's no one like me. Anywhere. Do you know what I see, Shino?"

"What do you see?" He lowered his voice to a whisper, and the concern was obvious in his voice.

"I see death, everywhere I go. I see people dying. Right now, I see rain, I see this lake rising, overflowing, from its hole in the ground, flooding over everyone in its path. Drowning them, _killing _them. Death...too much. You can forget your past, Shino, while I've none to forget."

"What do you mean?"

"My brother killed my family, Shino. This is the gruesome truth I never wanted you to know. I hoped we could live without that factor...but now...you've asked, and I cannot lie. Not to you. He killed them when I was two years old. I lived with a foster father, Shino. I made one friend in four years. Then, they made me live with an old woman who feared me, said I was her granddaughter. I never looked to her as my grandmother. I killed a man while I lived with her, then more, and more. Everyone knew it was me, but they wouldn't prosecute a six-year-old. My friend's mother wouldn't let him be around me, and so...we snuck out each night, just to talk. He gave me this necklace...the one I wear every day. I would die if I lost it. I ran away. I haven't returned. Now I find that..." I clenched my fist and sniffed back tears. "I find that he is possibly dead, that Kakashi killed two other friends of mine...and..." I stopped, wiping tears from my eyes. Naruto had told me about Haku and Zabuza, who, how, why, and when. "Amaya thinks she can intrude and change who I am."

"Sen, it'll be OK...I'm here..." I could tell he was reaching out to touch me.

Quickly, I drew a small kunai and threw it at him, aimed at his head. "Damn it!" I shouted, frustrated and tearful. "Why aren't you afraid of me?! Why aren't you like everyone else?! Why don't you ever run from me?! Why do you stay...why do you stay and help...help _me..._?" I fell to the ground, crying, and drew in on myself. I was curled up on the ground, my entire body shaking with each sob. "I can't figure you out. Why...? Why are you so different than everone else...? Why don't you hate me...? Why don't you call me a monster, turn away, run...? Why are you so...so _nice _to me...? Why aren't you _afraid of me...?_"

I knew the kunai didn't hit him: it had implanted itself in a tree directly behind him. Yet he didn't flinch. I felt his hand on my shoulderblade. "Sen, would you like the answer to those questions?"

"Please," I mumbled, "please, tell me..." I was still sobbing, and my entire body trembled every time I released a sob.

"Because I love you, Sen. I love you."

I sat up, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. Still, the tears came. It seemed that the more I wiped the tears from my eyes, the faster they came back out. "Why...? I'm a thief, a monster, a murderer, a vampire, a cannibal, a physchopath, a demon... I'm a _Jinchuuriki, _Shino. A Jinchuuriki. How can you love me when I'm a monster?"

"You're beautiful, you're kind, you're strong, smart and funny. You're determined at everything you do. You look only at the negative things about you, and you make yourself blind to all the positive things. I love you because of the positive things, and I could care less about the negative parts of you." I opened my mouth to speak, to reject, say something else that contradicted everything, but he silenced me. I looked at him silently for a moment before hugging him. I wanted so badly to say something, but then, at that moment, I would settle for this. I could be trapped in that moment forever.

This is why I loved him so much.


	24. Instigation of Hate 24

**Attacked**

"Why...do...I..._always..._get myself...into...these messes?!" I shouted, rapidly attacking my opponent. I had been heading back to Konohagakure from a mission, and I took a shortcut through the Forest of Death. Another of the Iwa Nin that was on my trail had caught up, and he was _strong. _I mean, stronger than the others.

"Who are you...and what do you want from me?!" I asked, pausing for a back flip, to dodge a hit. The Iwa Nin said nothing. "Fine! Don't say anything! Let our fists do the talking!" I managed a hit to his jaw, shattering that part of his mask, and he stumbled backwards.

He glared at me from behind his Hunter Nin mask, shattered porcelain falling over his hand. "Dead," he mumbled, and came at me. I attempted to dodge, but I was too late. His katana impaled the left side of my waist, but, judging by the amount of pain, hadn't pierced any vital organs. Maybe a vein or two, some muscle and tissue, but nothing more. My headband provided no protection, for it was too low on my waist, and the injury was on my side.

I screamed and was knocked backwards from the impact. I saw bright red blood flying in the air, soaring slowly in tiny droplets, but never once did I calculate it was _my _blood. Pain drowned out all of my thoughts, and my sight swam in front of me.

The image of the Hunter Nin in his shattered mask, the blood on his lip from my hit to his jaw, the anger behind the mask, it was all a blur to me. I felt a katana tip resting on my heart, ready to pierce skin at any moment. I could barely see the shining metal and the figure standing over me, holding the deadly weapon on my chest. I began to feel lightheaded.

"Dead," the figure repeated. He raised the blade above his head, and Tsume made me react by using a Substitution Jutsu of the simplest kind. I reappeared standing on the branch of a tree. The Hunter Nin had no idea where I was. My vision didn't clear one bit as I stood in the tree, my left hand against the trunk to keep myself steady, right hand against my wound to sustain the excessive bleeding. I felt warmth all over my right hand, and tried to ignore. If I glanced down, I could barely make out a dark purplish red circle surrounded by bright red as it dripped over my hand, pooled onto the tree, and onto the ground. The Hunter Nin was bound to see me at any moment. Either that, or I would pass out and fall to the ground. If I fell from such a height as the branch I was on, I would certainly die. Suddenly, I gagged and coughed at the same time, causing me to lose my balance and topple forwards.

Except, I didn't topple forwards.

I felt a hand around my waist, over my right hand, and pressing the wound to stop the bleeding. I could also feel a presence behind me, making sure I was still on the tree. My knees had buckled beneath me in weakness and, if whomever was behind me were to let go, I could fall at any moment. I tried to contemplate who it was behind me. It could be anyone, I realized, but someone who had the will to save me.

My beliefs were confirmed when they spoke. "Sen, are you OK?" Shino.

"I-I'm fine," I told him, coughing and watching the red blood fall from my mouth to the ground, "I can...f-fight. Just let me d-down..."

"No. You're coughing blood. Let me finish this fight for you," He offered.

"No! Y-you're going to...to get k-killed...! I d-don't want you to d-die! Just...let me...let me do it..." I protested, and tried to squirm against his grip. He was too strong, and Tsume commented that almost anyone was physically stronger than me. I may have been weak, but what I lost in physical strength, I made up in physical speed and intelligence. That's what Kei always said, at least, when I told him I was weaker than the other students.

"You're closer to death than I am. Stay here," he commanded, helping me to sit against the tree. I was too weak, then, to protest any further. I simply sat there, one leg hanging off the tree branch, and stared off in the direction Shino went.

_Be careful, _I thought, _and hurry back, please..._

My world went black.

--

A familiar smell hung in the air, and I was warm. My eyes felt heavy, but I managed them open anyway. I saw a familiar woman, a familiar house, and familiar potions.

"Mrs. Aburame..." I moaned, stretching.

She turned around, a surprised look on her face. "Oh, Sen! So glad to see you're still alive after that last time! How are you feeling?"

"In pain..." I moaned again, feeling strength returning to my body. "Where's Shino?" I asked suddenly, my eyes shooting open. Mrs. Aburame chuckled, smiling.

"Last time, you didn't even know who he was! Well, if you're so concerned, he's up in his room. He's been worrying about you the whole time. Don't know why, though. Are you friends now?"

I sat up slowly. "Uh...yeah..." I suspected that Shino hadn't told her that we were actually dating. Bandages were wrapped all over my body, but still on my arms where I needed them to conceal the wounds my brother inflicted. My shirt was folded up by my head, as I had been laying on a sofa. I had bandages where I had had them on the mission when we met Temujin. "Could you," I cringed in pain, "Call him down here, please...? I want to see him."

"Sure. Shino!" She called up the stairs at the other side of the room. "You can come down now! She's awake!" I didn't hear anything, but she apparently heard an answer and walked back to me. "He'll be down in a moment, but for now, you need to drink this," she handed me a steaming cup. "It's medicine: it'll kill the pain and make you feel a little better." I took a sip of it, and knew for a fact it was medicine. It certainly tasted like medicine. I plugged my nose and took small drinks of it. It did make me fell better, and the pain was numbed slightly. I sat the cup on a little table and watched Mrs. Aburame stirring medicines.

Then I saw Shino coming down the stairs. He was wearing a fishnet shirt instead of his normal jacket, and I could see that his left arm was wrapped up in bandages. He seemed to be able to move it OK, but I could see and smell his blood. When he saw me sitting up, he froze for a moment. I smiled, and he continued walking. When he came close enough, I hugged him.

"I'm glad you're OK," he said softly. "I was afraid you'd lost too much blood."

"I was more worried about you," I admitted. "Look, you see? You're injured. I had right to be worried."

"It's just a scratch. Mom insisted on wrapping it. There wasn't much blood." Shino shrugged.

"Still? Who knows: You could suffer from hemophilia. You would bleed to death from 'just a scratch.' That wouldn't be good."

"Whatever," he sounded like he was laughing on the inside. "We're both OK: that's all that matters." He kissed me on the lips, open mouthed just like he always did. Strange as it sounds, I always liked the taste of his lips. It was sweet, and, unlike when Sasuke had kissed me before, there was no malice in the taste. _Innocence,_Tsume had told me, _that's the taste of innocence, purity, and kindness. Your lips would never taste like that. You're not innocent._

"Shino," Mrs. Aburame interrupted. We looked at her. She had one eyebrow raised in an inquiring expression. "Do you mind me asking what _that _was?" Despite the pain, I smiled, and knew I was right when I guessed he hadn't told her.

"I'll, uh...I'll explain later." Shino blushed. Mrs. Aburame looked at him curiously through one eye before returning to her work. A few minutes later, Mrs. Aburame stood up.

"Shino, come with me. I'm going to need some help getting the other boxes of medicinal herbs down." Wordlessly, Shino followed her into another room and closed the door.

I sighed and layed back down. I heard talking that automatically caught my attention.

"Shino, why did you kiss her?"

"I was glad she was OK."

"And...? Shino, are you _dating _that girl?"

"Um..."

"Well, I suppose it's not exactly a bad thing. I've never seen you go out of your way for someone as much as you have for her...Does your father know?"

"No."

A sigh.

"Shoo, shoo, go tell him. Hurry back." Mrs. Aburame came back in the room carrying tow big boxes of herbs. I pretended to be asleep, until I actually did fall asleep.

**Only The Weak Kill The Weaker**

I was returning to the Akatsuki lair from a mission. I had gone it alone. I began to get a nauseatingly ominous feeling as I approached the Akatuski lair. It seemed as though the entire world had frozen still, as I saw no creatures scurrying about as they normally did.

My Akatsuki cloak did little to keep me from the internal cold I was feeling about me. I pressed my hand against the cold stone door, fed my Chakra into it, and it slid open. I stepped into the still cold lair, and heard shouts. The door closed behind me and the only light there was was from a small torch at the other end of the rectangular room. I peered into the Demon Extraction Room. Nothing. No lights, no fresh blood. Where were the shouts coming from? They didn't sound like they were in pain, so they couldn't have been coming from the Torture Chamber. I opened the second door and saw the source of the angered shouts.

Kaede was stamping about the Akatsuki lair, screaming at the top of her lungs. She shouted curse words, along with other vile words I had only heard Zetsu and Hidan say. None of the members were out of their rooms, none were in sight. She saw me and her eyes narrowed. "There you are!" She ran to me and grabbed my arm. She dragged me along through the corridors. I stumbled behind her.

"Uh...Kaede, where are we going...?" I asked, almost tripping over my own feet.

"You'll see!" She began to mutter curses under her breath. Not even bothering to knock, she kicked open the door to Pein's office. "Pein!" She shouted.

"Ohhhhhh dear..." I said, nervous about going into Leader's office without permission. But he was there, shadowed and shrouded, behind his desk. Kaede slammed the door behind us. She stood behind me, arms crossed.

"Ah, so good to see you've returned from your mission, Sen. Any injuries that need treated?" I shook my head, not daring to look him in the eye. "Well, that's a good thing, too. But...I'm afraid we must discuss something."

I looked up. "What is it, Leader?"

"Do you remember when you brought that girl to the Akatsuki, your friend? The one with the red hair?"

"Amaya, yes. I remember." I nodded.

"Well...Something horrible has happened."

"She--" Kaede started angrily. Leader cut her off and Kaede growled.

"She's done something none of us would ever dare do...I remember, you were gone for a month or two, didn't report to your brother, didn't tell us what had been going on with the Uzumaki boy. Don't pretend I don't know where you went." I took a sharp intake of breath. "And don't pretend I don't know why, either. I know it all, Sen. Despite the things all of us told you, you went to Orochimaru because you have a Cursed Mark, and you wanted more power, more strength to kill. You came back to us, because you'd had enough.

"But like us, Orochimaru saw promise and potential in you. He taught you things he hadn't even taught his own daughters, because none of them cared enough to know the things that he does. You are like him, Sen. You want power, you want Jutsu. And Orochimaru saw that. Despite the way he looks, Orochimaru is becoming an old man, and old men are prone to die easily. You observed such with the Third Hokage, did you not?" I nodded, entranced by Leader's tale.

"But Leader, you say old men die easily...Lord -- er, _Orochimaru _has a Jutsu, one that prevents him from aging." I said. Leader's eyes narrowed when I said 'Lord.'

"A Jutsu, yes, but a Jutsu that must be repeated every three years. If Orochimaru were to enchant you into going again, he would do one of two things with you. He could teach you everything he knew and make you want to continue his work. If he did that, then he may allow himself to age and let you know all his Jutsu, so you may rule over Otogakure -- and other villages, for that matter -- with the same tyranny he did. Or, he could entrance you to stay long enough that he would put his soul in your body for your Jutsu and speed, just like he has done before, just like he plans to do with Itachi's brother."

"But what does that have to do with Amaya?" I asked, refusing to believe that Lord Orochimaru really was the horrible, bad person everyone made him out to be. Leader stared at me through a single shaft of light before continuing.

"The first time you left to go with Orochimaru, you did not go of your own accord. You were kidnapped. In order for a kidnapper to actually take the person they need, they must know his or her whereabouts first, mustn't they?" My eyes grew wide. "Amaya was taken to Orochimaru, and she was forced to tell him where you were. He gave her a reward: her freedom and the right to leave with her boyfriend. Love powered her then. We've recieved word from one of our lower-class spies that she's gone by herself this time. A new Akatsuki member -- you know her well, as she is a daughter of Orochimaru, Mailo," I took another sharp intake of breath and Leader noticed this. "Anyway, Mailo has also given us word that Orochimaru has paid Amaya to tell him where you are. Greed is a powerful force, Senari, and you know this, as you've been on missions with Hidan and Kakuzu. Orochimaru and his men could be coming to get you even as we speak. You don't want to return to them do you?" I shook my head. "They could find you at any moment, I know for a fact that none of them were happy when you left. I'm sure you know that, too, don't you?"

"All too well, Leader..." I said, remembering everything that the Sound Five had done and said to me after I left.

_"Well, if I can't kill you all...why not just one of you? How about you, Sen? No one was happy when you left. 'Specially not Lord Orochimaru or Sakon."_  
Jirobo.

_"Oh, come on, Sen. You were harder to beat when you were with us. You've slacked off on your Cursed Mark Training. If I take you back, though, Lord Orochimaru will be happy you can continue your training. Be like us, don't be afraid to use your Cursed Mark! Lord Orochimaru said you had one of the best and he saw promise in you! Come back with us."_  
Kidomaru.

_"Well, well, Sen...long time no see. How've you been? Meet anyone new...? Anyone who treats you the way _I _do?"  
"Sakon...I'll never, ever meet someone who treats me the way you do. You're insane. I never want to meet someone else like you."  
"Ohhhh, now you don't really mean that, do you?"  
"I mean it. I mean it with everything in the world."  
"Tsk, tsk. Well...I'm not usually the jealous type, but...I suppose that if I can't have you, no one will, now will they?"_  
Who could forget Sakon...?

_"Honestly...I wonder what Mailo would think if she knew the hate that circulated between the two of us now."  
"She would strongly disapprove. But right now...she's not here."_  
Kimmimaro.

"I refuse to lose another member of the Akatsuki to someone such as Orochimaru. Amaya is obviously a threat to you, your life, to the _Akatsuki _as a whole. And do you know what the Akatsuki do to threats, Senari?"

"We terminate them," I replied, my eyes narrowing.

"Exactly. I understand that Amaya is your friend, but we must rid ourselves of her. I understand the emotional turmoil it would cause you to have to do such an odious task, so I have decided to send Kaede and Zetsu to--"

"Let me go with them," I interrupted. He looked at me questioningly. "Well...would you rather be killed by your best friend or be killed by a couple of people you've never actually met before?" I gave him a crooked half-smile.

"I will allow you to go," he said, "but you will be leaving now. We left Amaya a forged letter in Orochimaru's handwriting telling her that she did not get all of her money. It asked her to go to a certain point, and Kaede will lead you there. Go, now, before it's too late."

"Yes, Leader." I bowed and Kaede and I began to run. My brother was waiting for us by the door. We continued without a word.

--

We all stood, shrouded by the darkness of the leaves. In front of us lay a small plain, one that looked all too familiar, one that had housed a nightmare of mine that had happened all too vividly. We all watched in silence, all clad in our Akatsuki cloaks. Kaede simply wore her normal outfit, no cloak at all. My brother wore his cloak, as he obviously couldn't fit a hat on his head and be serious about it. I, however, was wearing my Akatsuki hat along with my cloak. I had removed the sleeping bells for this particular mission.

No, it wasn't a mission.

It was a choice.

A choice I never wanted to make.

I watched, horrified, as Amaya came into view, holding a piece of paper and looking around. So it was true. She really _had_ sold me out to Lord Orochimaru. She really _was _stupid enough to believe a forged letter, to believe everything I'd said. Everything. She had tried to teach me to be normal, to be a girl, to be like her. It was fun, I had wanted to be like her. I had wanted to be normal, wanted to have fun. _You should have known better, you stupid, stupid person! _I told myself. _You never wanted to be like her! She was never like you, you were never like her! She is a disgusting, filthy pig who is driven by fake love and greed and would kill her best friend just for money!_

Another part of me, not Tsume, argued. _Isn't that what you're about to do? Kill your best friend? Maybe not for money, but for your own self-gain? What have you been taught, Senari? Haven't you learned anything from being around 'that stupid Uzumaki boy?' Friendship is an important thing, and keeping it is more important than anything else in the world!_

_No, never your friend, never, ever. She never was, she never will be. You don't care if you kill her, she's just another on the list!_

_Listen to yourself, you sound just like that Haido man. 'Just another noble sacrifice'...You're not that cold are you? You never were. You're weak. You can't kill, you don't have what it takes to _destroy, _to _murder. _You're a pathetic rat, pitiful vermin, nothing but a pile of worthless trash! You don't mean anything, you never did! You're just as downright disgusting and filthy as she is if you kill her. You'll be nothing, worthless, sickening, useless, nothing but a murder weapon!_

_I'd rather be needed as a murder weapon than not needed at all. _I finally broke through the evil thoughts, ignored them all, became stoic. _I don't need emotions, _I thought cooly, calmly, _not when I'm loyal to what is really important. Emotions are just set backs. They're useless. _

The other two ambushed her, held her still. I stood in the shadows quietly, staring in awe. _I'm going to kill her...I really am..._I couldn't believe what was happening. I listened to her screaming for help, her muffled screams, watched her squirm and cry.

Then, my hat pulled over my face, I stood beside my brother as he and Kaede held my former friend still. "Alright, Sen," Zetsu said not-too-quietly, "Is this that little wretch that ratted you out?!"

"Yes, Brother," I whispered. Amaya turned to face me as much as she could. Zetsu had removed his hand from her mouth, as he was a little more interested in keeping her still than keeping her quiet.

"Sen...?" She whispered. "What's...what's going on...? Who...who _are_ these people...?" I could hear the fear in her voice, but I didn't dare look up: I didn't want to see her fear, see her tears.

I could feel my Cursed Mark burning over my skin, covering the left half of my body. "I never wanted you to know this. But this...this is who I am, Amaya. You were right: All along, I _have _been the enemy. _Your _enemy. And you knew that. This is...my brother, and my best friend. We are Akatsuki members."

"But I was..._I'm _your best friend." She protested.

"Never." I repeated what the evil voice had said. "You never were my real friend. Real friends don't...a real friend wouldn't tell my enemy where I am. You did."

I could feel the tears coming now, running down my face and cooling the skin where the Cursed Mark burned. "Sen," I heard Zetsu say, irritation and inquiry in his voice, "Are you _crying..._?" I wiped my eyes with my sleeve.

"No, Brother. It's the light. It burns my eyes."

"You're weak," he said, "only those who cannot take the turmoils of life are those who cry. You are one such, you are weak." He gave Kaede full control over restricting Amaya. "I'm going back to the Akatsuki lair and trusting the two of you with this. Come back when you're done." And he fled into the forest.

It was just the three of us now.

Kaede pushed Amaya to the ground. "So," she hissed, and I heard Chiyo taking advantage of her anger, "Do you think it's fun to come in and screw up the way things work? Do you like making people believe you're their friend and then backstabbing them and almost getting them killed?"

"No! Please, just let me go!" Amaya cried.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. I want you to _feel _the pain Senari felt when she was in Otogakure, every ounce of pain her Cursed Mark caused her, every injury, every heartache. I want you to know what Senari felt like when she found out that her supposed friend had ratted her out to one of the men who had ruined her life. _You _caused all this, _you _made her get a Cursed Mark, _you _made her get kidnapped." She pushed Amaya closer to the ground. I could do nothing but watch. "_You've _gotten yourself killed."

"I'm sorry! I never meant for Orochimaru to know where she was! I just needed some money!"

"And so you sell out your friend?! That's so twisted, not even I would do it, not for any amount of money! Senari is not a tool to be sold! If she is a tool at all, she is the Akatsuki's tool, and we are keeping her!"

Amaya was sobbing loudly now. It was fake, I knew it. All the tears, everything was fake. "Sen, please! Help me!" In my mind, the voice was twisted, distorted, angry, manipulating. "Come on, Sen," it hissed quietly, "I know you. You're too weak to be so cold. You'll save me, won't you? Come, come, little pushover, I know you can't bear to watch a friend die, now can you...?"

"No..." I whispered, clenching my fist. "I _won't _help you. I won't be that weak any more..."

Kaede forced her to stand. Forced her to look at me. At age fourteen, she was taller than me. And she already had one foot in the grave.

"Sen," she begged, "don't let her do this. Y-you can't. Friends don't kill friends."

"Friends don't put friend's lives at stake!" Kaede and Chiyo hissed as one.

"Friends don't kill friends..." I repeated, still not looking up. "You're not my friend, you never were. So I have right to kill you. And you're going to die. Today."

"Sen..." she whispered, and I could hear the concern, the sadness, the _realization_ in her voice.

Finally, I looked up at her. My voice grew scratchy and sadistically low, my nails grew long and sharp, and so did my teeth. A strong purple aura rose about me, and Tsume knew what to do. My Cursed Mark melded with Tsume's power. I felt sharp pain as the Second State Mature Level wings sprouted from my back, and I finally knew what they looked like. They were black, and were simliar to Sasuke's, except instead of hands, they were almost like mutated butterfly wings. I became colder, as the emaciated appearance came into play, and my body became unnaturally thin.

"Sen, what's going on?!" She demanded, sobbing, one last time.

As I looked up, the moving purple aura blew my Akatsuki hat off my head. My tear-stained and pencil gray skin was revealed to her. I looked at her pitifully. "Forgive me, won't you?" I took a strike at her right when I finished my sentence. My fingernails made contact with the side of her face and blood like red diamonds spattered on me. She screamed. It sounded pitiful, fake dread as it became real.

Kaede looked to me, grinning hideously. I did not reply. Amaya was on the ground, sobbing, on her hands and knees.

_"Pitiful," _Tsume spoke through me. _"You're pathetic. A sniveling rat. Rats don't live long in the eyes of a tiger." _And she forced me to attack again. I sliced with my fingernails once more, missing. Amaya became smart and knew she had to fight back or she had no chance of living.

No. She _had_ no chance to live.

I glanced towards Kaede through tears and noticed she was changing as Chiyo took over her body. A deep purple chakra, almost black, surrounded her body as it had mine, making her pale skin glow. Her dress, the one she wore constantly during battles, ripped and changed completely in figure. Her raven-colored hair became an ashy, dull black, and it grew to her ankles in a wavering charcoal line. Her already dark eyes darkened even more, narrowed, and stretched to become more fox-like. I knew now that Tsume had been telling the truth: Chiyo must've been Kyuubi's sister. Tsume was watching the emergence of her sensei with anticipation. I heard several of Kaede's bones snap with a sickening crunch that of a falling tree, and a disgusting squish as the internally structured pieces rearranged themselves in such a design as to change the weakness of humanity to the strength and speed of animosity. At the top of her head sprouted onyx black ears, which seemed to twitch attentitively with each tiny crackling of her bones. From the base of her spine sprouted eleven black tails, each tipped with a grey spot, like a paintbrush dipped in clouds of grey. Her nails sharpened, grew, like mine. She reached towards her own face, ripping open deep red gashes and let the blood fall over her skin, which was almost as white as mine. "Let's play," a voice came from deep in her throat. It was low and menacingly intentioned, yet high and almost a whining noise like that of a small child's scream. She looked towards me. The tails, the ears, these were not the Chakra forms I acquired. These were the real things, full embodiments. I realized, as she looked at me, how much stronger than the other demons Chiyo really was.

_Monkey, snake, dragon, horse, boar, _"Dark Style: Oblivon Pit Jutsu! Now, Kaede..." Darkness surrounded us. The sky, the grass, the forest, and the leaves disappeared. Kaede and I were no longer visible to Amaya, but we could see her clear as daylight. It was the simplest Dark Style Genjutsu I knew, and the easiest. I saw Kaede throw two of her special shuriken at Amaya. They implanted themselves in her hip and the side of her leg. Then, I noticed she made a large mistake. She grabbed the shuriken by the hole in the center, and she screamed in pain. Kaede's shuriken were special because they were laced with poison; on the inside of the hole in the center, there were tiny spikes that stuck to skin and buried themselves deeper; and there was only one safe place to hold the shuriken, and that was only safe when Kaede herself threw the deadly weapons.

I felt Tsume's power sweeping over me, taking control, and I myself was rendered useless. Tsume fought, using my body. I felt my eyes -- no, they were _our _eyes now -- narrowing and thinning, and something odd happened. My Cursed Mark took on a new role now, and black marks stretched like a tiger's striped across my pencil-grey skin. My whole body was in pain from the Cursed Mark, but Tsume's rage numbed it all. But there was one pain she could never numb: my heart. It ached with each blow, each strike, each time I heard Amaya scream in pain, in sorrow, in guilt, in agony.

_Don't let yourself be overcome, my dearest. _Tsume purred. _You are not that weak. You never have been. Stand strong and fight with me._

_Yes, Tsume. _I obeyed and tried my hardest to keep myself in control while I used both my Cursed Mark and Tsume's power.

_I promised I would let you use my Chakra, my strength, my power when you needed it, and here is when, here is when you need me, dear. Use it wisely._

"I always believed you," I spoke, not sure whom I was talking to. The Genjutsu wore off, and I could tell Amaya was panting, crying, and bleeding. It was hard to see out of my eyes, as they had not only become thinner than usual, but they caused my vision to swim. Why, I didn't know.

"This is going to be fun..." Kaede and Chiyo hissed, drawing out their sentence. We circled around her slowly, Tsume enjoying 'the thrill of the hunt.'

As I felt the animosity sinking in, I could see a memory of Tsume's. It was when she was very young, apparently. Only the size of a couple of humans. I could see the youth in her eyes--not youth, infantility. She was so young, barely even one hundred years of age, which was about the age of three for a human, considering the life span of a demon. Humans stood around her, primitively dressed. They held long spears, prodding the tigress child with them. It was a dark night, and only a fire lit the enraged face of the tigress. The young Tsume growled, roared, bit at the humans, but was tied by rope-vines. I knew this must've been thousands of years ago. I heard tribal drums beating, and before long, that's all I could hear, the drums. The heavy pounding, the steady beat, it all made me feel so much like the enraged young Tsume. I wanted to kill, to taste blood, I wanted destruction. I could only feel power, Chakra and adrenaline in my veins. I dropped my Akatsuki cloak to the ground, no longer needing it. Beneath, I wore the same outfit I wore every day.

I sliced again, again, again, at Amaya, as much as I could as fast as I could, until I hit her hand, rendering her defenseless. Not completely defenseless, however. She dodged Kaede's unaimed blow, came behind me, and kicked Kaede in the stomach. Kaede simply stood there, grinning. It was obvious that the blow din't so much as bruise her hardend skin. I could feel Amaya's arm around my neck, and the kunai she held at my throat. I held her arm, envisioning myself gaining the power to simply rip it off, bones, tendon and muscle.

"I'm sorry, Sen. I don't want to do this," She whispered. I opened my mouth wide and chomped down on her hand, right on the big vein in the very center. I heard her scream again, and warm blood spilled over my teeth, dripping off her hand. The taste was sweet, but there was a strong taste of iron. I heard her drop her weapon, but not before she cut my arm, through the bandages.

I let go of her hand, and she shoved me to the ground. The stench of blood was heavy in the air. I saw my own blood seeping over my flesh, glowing red like an angry fire. Upon standing up, I saw Amaya looking at me through blood and tears. I glanced towards Kaede, nodding. She grinned maliciously and stepped up.

"It's your turn, my sister..." I hissed through my teeth. Kaede struck at her over and over, making many deep, angry wounds. Kaede finally shoved her to the ground. Upon an impulse, I crouched down on all fours, and ran like that, towards her. Amaya was laying on her back, almost bleeding to death. Putting my knees on her stomach to cause her farther pain and inability to breathe, I stared her in the eyes, the taste of blood bubbling in my mouth. Then, I shoved my hand through her waist, past the skin, past the organs, and around the spine, until my nails poked through her back. I smiled, seeing her pained reaction.

As I pulled my hand out, streams of red blood followed it, spattering all over. I stepped back, standing up. Amaya attempted a long, drawn out effort to stand, and she made it, blood dripping from the hole I had made through her abdomen.

"Sen..." she reached to me, her fingers only a half centimeter away from my face. I took her hand, knowing what was going to happen. She froze, and fell limp to the ground, screaming. Kaede stood behind her, holding her still pumping heart, a bewildered look on her face. She looked from the heart to me. Amaya was screaming in pain, begging for mercy.

"Sen," Kaede started, "would you like to do the honors?"

My Cursed Mark, the animosity, and the effects of Tsume's power retreated. I retrieved my Akatsuki cloak and put it back on. If I were to do this, I would be doing on my own. I was calm now, scared, but calm. There was no power nor adrenaline screaming through my veins. But there was Amaya, screaming. Stoicly, I stepped towards Kaede, who had also returned to normality.

She gently handed me the heart. It felt odd as it thumped out its speeding rhythm in the palm of my hand. _Th-thump, th-thump, th-thump. _It smelled strongly of iron. All the veins, arteries, and capillaries still hung from it, still attatched to the pitiful-looking girl. I looked down at her.

"Amaya, won't you ever forgive me...?" I asked. She looked towards me, her eyes frightened and large, blood smeared across her face. I gave her no time to spit out her bloody and dying answer. I gently squeezed the heart, and it stopped pumping. Amaya's eyes clouded over and closed slowly. I stared at her for a moment, as she lay on her back. She was silent, and not even the rapid rasping for air she had made earlier showed a sign of life.

I fell to my knees beside her.

"Imoto..." came the worried tone of Kaede's voice behind me. "Are...you OK...?"

"She's dead," I whispered, feeling my emotions returning to me. My eyes scanned her body over and over, pausing at every little scratch, every little wound. She had only cut me twice, in the same place on the underside of each of my arms. They still hadn't ceased to bleed.

"It was our duty, Imoto. She was a threat to us and..." she silenced herself immediately as I doubled over on myself. I held my own head in my hands, tears streaming off my face at a faster rate than ever before. The blood on my hands stung my eyes, but I didn't care. My kunai knife lay beside me. It was the only Ninja Tool I had brought with me. I didn't even have my Ninja Pouch.

"Sen," Kaede whispered again, "are you going to be alright...?" I sat up, kneeling again.

Using the sleeve of my Akatsuki cloak, I wiped the tears from my eyes. There was blood on my sleeves, too, and it left little red marks around my eyes. "Yes, nesan, I'll be alright. You can just...just go back to the Akatsuki lair, OK...? I'll be back when I'm done here..."

Kaede was silent, and it seemed as though she were really going to leave. Then, she crouched beside me and grabbed my wrist. Her hands were cold. "Sen, look at me." I reluctantly turned to look at her. "It'll be OK, I promise. You've still got me here." I nodded, looking back to the cadaver.

And then she left, left me alone. I stared at the corpse of Amaya for a long while. It seemed as though, at any moment, she could open her eyes. Open her eyes and laugh, ask me to join the fun, ask me how things were going. Or to scold me, to tell me what was right and what was wrong.

I looked to the horribly blue sky. It looked to happy for such a day. Too bright, too beautiful. The blood stained the grass, and little red blades danced in the wind. "Nisei," I said aloud. "I'm not a good person, I'm not what you wanted me to be. I've killed her, murdered her." No response. No incorporeal being, nothing. "Well, don't you get it? I've failed you! Aren't you going to come and scold me?" Still nothing. The ghost of my sister did not come to me as it had when I had almost killed Amaya with my Cursed Mark. "Come on! Are you a coward now, Nisei?!" I shouted. I bent over on myself, sobbing.

"Why...? Why, Amaya, why?! Why did you have to do this to me?! I hate you...I hate you! Tsume...p-please..."

_'Twill be alright, my dearest child...'tis the way of life, the way it shall always be. Thou must not worry, thy problems shall be solved, all in time. My dear, it is OK..._

_I know but...she...she...Ah! I hate her! Why...?_

"I hate you, Amaya," I repeated, "I hate everything now. I can't trust anyone. There's only one solution to this, now..."

_My dear! Don't do it, please! _Tsume shouted, alarmed at my thought.

"Why not, Tsume?" I said with a sniff. "I'm useless now, I'm disgusting. I've destroyed a friendship, killed someone who had been close to me. I'm a worthless stone. I don't belong here: I don't belong anywhere. I don't belong in this world. Maybe the world of the dead will take me in, accept me as one of them, one of the physically departed who have done the most wretched crimes. It's up to you Tsume: my throat or my wrists. What will it be?"

_Neither, please. Don't do it! All will be in vain if you do!_

"_I _am in vain, Tsume. My life is in vain." I retorted, grasping for my kunai. It was the only way to get out of this. I could lay there, bleed to death. Let them think Amaya and I were attacked by the same Ninja, and killed. But then they'd see my Akatsuki cloak. They probably wouldn't bury me, then. They'd think burying me was an ill-used endeavor. _"Better to just leave her here and rot. That's all she is anyway," _I imagined them saying. Shino would know the horirble truth. Lee kun, Naruto san, everyone. Or I could take my Akatsuki cloak off and hide it somewhere, somewhere so they'd think Amaya and I died together. Nothing wrong with that, right? All I need to do was either cut my wrists, my throat, or I could get it over with faster and just stab myself in the heart. I reached for my kunai and--

It was gone.

Upon looking around me, I realized it was completely gone. Kaede had taken it. Then, as I contemplated using a Jutsu to get the work done, I realized that Kaede's hands hadn't been cold. She had put a cold, metal Chakra bracelet on me. There was no way to use a Jutsu now. She was too smart. She knew that I was going to plan this, to kill myself, and so she had taken all my weapons, all my sources to do the odious deed. So that was that. I was doomed to walk this world of the living with a cloud of shame hanging over my head every day and every night for the very fact that I had murdered my own friend.

_Best to wash this blood off and go home, _I thought. I trampled off to a natural hot spring somewhere in the Forest of Death. As I slipped into the warm water, I leaned all the way in and cleaned the blood off my face. A red pool formed around me, turning the water an orangey color. I pushed my clothes into the water, too, so they would no longer be full of blood. The steaming hot water was very cloudy, and I couldn't see anything through it. It came up to about two inches below my collarbone. I made sure that I stayed underwater long enough to get my hair completely bloodless. Then I just sat there for a while, feeling the warmth and releasing my fears. After a while, I heard a hissing noise. I had just come up from ducking my head under the water, and water dripped off my nose. I ignored the hissing noise, passing it off as just a snake. Then I heard a voice.

"Sen, everyone's been looking for you, you know." Upon turning around, I saw Shino. He was hanging upside down in a tree, using the Kikaichu to keep himself attatched to the branch. Feeling stupid for beeing so easily startled, I turned back to the water and splashed some on my face. I dragged my clothes out of the water and sat them on dry ground to let them dry off.

"What do you want, Shino?" I think I sounded a little too rude to be talking to my boyfriend in such a manner.

"I wanted to know where you were." His voice was closer now, and the hissing noises of the Kikaichu ceased.

"Well here I am. Happy now?"

"Yes, but Lee's been freaking out that you hadn't gone to training today."

"I...had something else to do." Dare I say it?

"Does it have anything to do with why there's blood in that hot spring?"

"Yes." I replied simply.

"And what would that be?" How on earth did he keep his cool like that?! It was infuriating!

"You'll never know."

"Well, just come back to Konohagakure when you feel comfortable. I'll be at home if you feel like you need to talk about something, OK?"

"Fine."

"Goodbye," He said. I heard the swoosh of air as he left. I sighed. After a while, my clothes had dried enough to put them back on. I returned to my home in Konohagakure and slept for the rest of the day. I felt pitiful.


	25. Instigation of Hate 25

****

Kakashi sensei

I was bored out of my wits. I hadn't had a decent mission in who-knows-how-long, Ichiraku wasn't getting any business, and I was stuck there all day, taking orders, making ramen.

Teuchi and Ayame were making the latest batch of ramen when it happened. I never thought it would.

Kakashi sensei walked into Ichiraku.

My eyes grew wide. I cleared my throat and smiled. "Hello, Kakashi sensei. What would you like today?" He sat down, smiling.

"Ah, hello, Sen. Glad to see you've got a nice little job. I think I'll just have some normal ramen, nothing special."

I nodded. "We can do that." I went into the tiny back room where we make the ramen. "Teuchi--" I began.

"Yes, I've got it," he said, walking out of the kitchen. "Sen, I think it's about time you go back and help Ayame make some ramen, OK? I'll take care of Kakashi."

"Yes, sir!" I said, bowing, before running back to the kitchen.

As Ayame and I were making ramen, I couldn't help but wonder: what _was _under Kakashi sensei's mask...? I tried to peer around the corner of the open doorway, but I could see nothing.

I heard Ayame giggling. "What're you doing?" She asked. I put one finger up to my own lips to silence her. "Oh, I get it. You want to know what's under Kakashi's mask, don't you?" She giggled again.

Ayame went back to her work, and I got closer to the open doorway. I could now see the two men. And hear them. "This smells really good," Kakashi sensei said.

"Ah, yes, Sen made that particular batch. She's quite the young chef. I'm thinking of hiring her for good when she gets older." Teuchi's voice had pride in it. "Ah, but, Kakashi, if I hire her for good, we _will _have to tell her what's under your mask..."

"Why?" My heart beat faster as I peered around the corner. Nothing. He still was wearing his mask.

Teuchi finished, "Mainly so she'll _stop eavesdropping, _like she is now." I turned back around the corner, laying flat against the door frame. _Don't see me, don't see me, don't see me! _I thought, panicking.

I heard Kakashi sensei laughing. "No, no, it's quite alright. All of the Genin -- and even some Chunin -- want to know what's under my mask. Sen's no different." He raised his voice a little. "Sen, why don't you come out here? Do you really want to see what's under my mask?"

I slid around the corner really fast. I was very eager. Finally, I could brag to Naruto! Teuchi sighed. "Oh no, here we go again..."

I stared at Kakashi sensei as he grabbed his mask. The suspense was killing me. "Sen, what's under my mask is simply," he pulled down his mask and I was standing in bewilderment, "another mask!" Indeed, he _did _have another mask under that one. I slid back into the kitchen, and I heard him laughing. Ayame started giggling.

"Did he pull the mask trick on you, Sen?" She asked. I nodded slowly, my eyes wide. And she giggled again.

****

Late!

I ran, and ran, and ran. _Oh, please don't let Teuchi be mad at me! _I thought as I rushed to Ichiraku. I was late. _Run faster, Sen, run faster..._

As I turned the corner to Ichiraku, I ran into someone. "Oh, jeez, I'm so sorry!" I shouted.

Through long and rustled maroon hair, the girl glared at me. "Thanks a lot," she said, and pushed the hair from her face. Her greyish blue eyes shone with irritation.

"Please! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to--"

"Enough, I get it. Hey, you look familiar. Have we met?" She stood up on her own. She was wearing bunches of bandages beneath a fishnet shirt. Beneath a black skirt she wore bandages on her left leg. Ninja-regulation sandals adorned her feet.

I shook my head. "N-no, I don't th-think we have. I--"

She stuck her hand out to me. "My name's Ichigo. Nice to meet you. What's your name?" I hesitated before shaking her hand.

"M-my name is Sen..."

"So where are you headed in such a hurry?"

"Um...work..." I tried to walk away, but Ichigo grabbed my arm.

"Where at?" She said with a smile.

"Ichi...raku...ramen..." I said slowly. She grinned.

"I work there, too! Only part time, though. Why don't we go together?" This girl seemed a little too excited, if you ask me. Still, I stayed silent and walked with her. I noticed she was a Ninja, as there was a Kumo headband on her head.

By the time we reached Ichiraku, I was worried. Teuchi stood by the back entrance. When he saw me, he got a stern look on his face. But the sight of Ichigo seemed to calm him down. I was suddenly pleased I had allowed her to come with me.

"Teuchi san, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be so late!" I apologized, bowing.

"Realize, I'm going to have to cut this off your salary, Senari." Teuchi's voice had a stern tone to it.

"Ah, c'mon, Teuchi!" Ichigo said, laughing. "Let her off the hook this time."

"Ichigo, you're not supposed to be working today." Teuchi crossed his arms.

"What if I want to come see some new empoloyees?" She retorted.

Teuchi sighed. "Alright. We don't have very much business today. Ayame's got it taken care of. Sen, you can have the day off." I sighed and let myself relax.

"Thank you, Teuchi san." Teuchi sighed and went back into the ramen shop.

Ichigo looked at me. A small rumbling noise filled the silence. She put her hands on her stomach and moaned. "Ohhh...I'm hungry...What about you? You wanna go get some lunch?"

"Come to think of it..." I started. "I am getting kind of hungry. I had to skip breakfast this morning."

"How 'bout some ramen? We're here already."

"Sounds good," I smiled as I spoke.

"I'll pay," she offered.

"Oh, are you sure?" I asked, willing to pay.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I get a discount anyway. Does Teuchi give you a discount for working here?" I shook my head. We went around to the front of Ichiraku and sat down. We ate in silence for a few moments.

"So...You're a Kumo Shinobi, right?" I said, looking up at her from beneath low eyelids.

Ichigo didn't seem to notice my suspicious look as she ate. "Yep. Sounds like you paid attention in the Ninja Academy, smart one."

"You're not a Hunter Nin, are you?" I asked, worried for Kaede's sake.

Ichigo found this amusing and laughed loudly, almost choking on a mouthful of ramen. "No, no! I'm only a Chunin!"

"How old are you...?"

"Almost thirteen," she replied as she took another bite of ramen.

I looked at her oddly. "You look like you're at least fifteen..."

She laughed again. "Do I really?" I nodded. We spoke until we finished eating. I offered Ichigo a chance to come and train with me, but she declined, saying that she had to be somewhere.

How was it possible I had made a friend, after I had killed one?

****

Naomi, Daughter of a Lord

A scream rang through the dark hallways. No, it was some shouting Sasori's name. The deep hallways made the angered cry echo. Curious, I watched both hallways, trying to see what was going on. From the hallway in which Sasori's room was came a girl. She had red hair and eyes that seemed almost irridescent. She held her arms in front of herself as some kind of protection. Zetsu didn't look up from his reading.

"Stop it, Sasori!" She said. Sasori smirked at her from ten feet away. The girl turned to me, as if begging for help. "Help me, please..." she said softly. I stood up, and Sasori scowled at me as if to threaten me not to come any closer. I made it a few feet towards the girl before Zetsu shouted.

"Sasori, quit! Leave Naomi alone. I'm trying to read this and her screaming at you isn't helping my concentration at all."

"Fine...You win this time, Zetsu..." Sasori glared at us all before returning to his room.

The girl looked towards me oddly. I averted my eyes, but I could still feel her curious gaze. "Thank you, Zetsu." My brother said nothing. After a few moments of awkwardness, she finally asked, "Who are you?"

I bowed. "M-my name is Senari...ma'am."

Zetsu added in, "She's my useless rat of a sister."

The girl gasped. "Oh, I see! You're Zetsu's sister! You train with Deidara, don't you?"

I nodded. She smiled at me and I looked up at her. "My name is Naomi. I've heard Deidara talk about you several times. He says you're a very determined student!" She giggled.

I bowed again. "It's nice to meet you, Naomi san." Zetsu glared at me for no use of more proper titles. I pretended to ignore him.

Then, I heard a familiar voice. "Naomi!" It screamed. I looked up, hoping it was who I had expected it to be. And it was. She ran and hugged Naomi, laughing. "I finally joined the Akatsuki!" She paid no mind to me. Zetsu looked at me, with the tiniest hint of sympathy in his stare. I nodded and went back to work on my scroll. I felt like some kind of servant dog, sitting at my brother's feet and writing things in a scroll.

Then Mailo noticed me. "Oh my gosh! Senari! What're you doing here!?"

"I should be asking you the same question." I said quietly.

"You seem so much more sullen!" Naomi motioned to my brother. Zetsu rolled his eyes and told me to go to the library. I did, and from there, Naomi and Mailo followed me. I got to talk to them in there, but quietly. I learned that Mailo had left Lord Orochimaru and Otogakure to come to the Akatsuki. Kimmimaro still believed I was a traitor. Mailo still kept in touch with him, as they were still dating. Naomi, however, was another of Lord Orochimaru's daughters. She was dating Sensei, which why she talked about him so much. I was glad I had finally met someone else in the Akatsuki. And that Mailo was there.

****

Murasakino

I was talking with Ichigo as we worked at Ichiraku. Well, moreover, _I _was working. She didn't have to work today, so she was sitting where customers normally do. After I had met her, I realized that she was quite a chatterbox.

I wasn't paying much attention until I heard someone shout her name. I looked beneath the cloth hanging to see the feet of a girl as she came in. Her hair was a raven black that was similar to Kaede's, except it shone only a dark purple and went down to about halfway down her upper arm. Her eyes were a pupilless violet, but darker than the Hyuga's Byakugan. She wore a short black skirt with leggings similiar to Ino's, except they were a black, sheer material instead of bandages. Her dark brown tank top had only one strap on her left shoulder. On her head was a Kirigakure headband. _I wonder if she ever knew Haku san or Zabuza sensei..._

She was yelling. "Ichigo! Ichigo! It's the creepy bug guy again!" She ran to Ichigo, sitting beside her on a stool.

"The creepy bug guy?" I repeated. I peered beneath the cloth again and saw Shino walking towards the old ramen shop. I hadn't seen him in a week, so I was ecstatic. Sitting on the counter, I jumped over to the other side and ran to him. I could tell he was smiling when I hugged him.

"Ichigo..." I heard the other girl's voice, "what's she doing...?"

"Uh...I don't know..." Came Ichigo's voice.

"Shino, where've you been?!" I asked, smiling.

"My dad took me on a mission," he replied quietly. "It was boring. Nothing more than a C-ranked escorting mission."

"C-ranked?" I cringed. "And your dad took you on it?" Then I remembered something. Putting one hand on Shino's shoulder and walking with him, I said, "You need to let me meet your dad sometime!"

"I'll remember that the next time you almost get yourself killed and my mom has to take care of your injured butt again," he said sarcastically.

I frowned and folded my arms. "Not fair," I whispered, no intention for him to hear.

Getting very close to my face, so close I could feel his warm breath against my deathly cold lips, he whispered, "You're forgetting that I'm used to quiet noises. I heard that. And yes, it's very fair." I could hear a smile in his voice. "You're a danger magnet." I folded my arms again, smiling this time.

Then, I gasped and grabbed his arm. "C'mon, Shino san! I want you to meet someone!" I ran back to Ichigo and the other girl.

"Ichigo, this is Shino, my boyfriend. Shino, this is Ichigo. I met her two days ago."

"When she was running late for work," Ichigo added. "Oh, hey, Sen. I want you to meet Murasakino. Remember me telling you about her?" I nodded and looked toward the other girl.

"Nice to meet you, Murasakino! I'm Sen, and this is Shino."

"I've...met _Shino..." _Murasakino replied, seeming to be thoroughly creeped out.

Shino explained, "She's a new friend of Unmei's. She comes to training frequently. Thoroughly irritating..."

"Oh, c'mon, Shino! One person can't be that bad!"

"You'd be surprised..." He mumbled. I jumped to the other side of the ramen bar, and the other three sat on the customer's side. Murasaki was apparently a Shinobi from the Village Hidden In The Mist. She had left the village after she saw how the Chunin exams there worked. She was fourteen and specialized in Water Style Jutsu. We talked until the other two had to go. "Seems like you've been making friends by some stroke of luck," Shino said.

I rested my chin on my hand and sighed, saying nothing. "Are you still upset since Amaya got attacked?" He asked. He didn't know I had killed her. No one did. Nor would they ever.

"I suppose...I mean...there's really been not much of a...change in my life..."

"Karma's getting back to you," he tried to comfort me, "you're a good person, so life is trying to do good things for you."

"Life is confused," I retorted.

"Alright Sen, your shift's up." Teuchi came out of the back room. I took off the apron and sat it on the counter before sliding to the other side with Shino and saying goodbye to Teuchi.

Shino tried to keep up with my hastened steps, but he was left running to catch up once in a while. Finally, after time and time again of trying to catch my attention, he grabbed my arm to stop me. My eyes narrowed and drooping at the same time, I looked at him. "Sen, you're going to have to tell me what's going on one of these days! You can't live the rest of your life opressed by sadness. If it helps you at all, I'm here any time you need to talk."

I turned from him and started walking again. "You'll never know...You don't _want _to know..."

"Yes, I do! I want to know!" He begged. His voice was growing farther and farther.

I turned to him again, looking at him from beneath heavy eyelids. "If you want to know so badly, then meet me tomorrow night at the dark lake. I'm going to be training all day tomorrow, but if you come to check on me, then I won't tell you. Understood?" He seemed shocked, and he didn't move. I turned away without a word and walked faster through the air as it grew colder. I stopped a few feet away and looked up at the sky. Something cold and pale fell lightly on my face, and another, and another, before they started falling faster and faster and collected on my eyelashes like...well, like I don't know what else!

"Shino..." I mumbled, "What are these...?" I caught one in my hand and it disappeared immediately. I turned to him, puzzled.

"Those are...They're snowflakes. Have you never seen them before?" I shook my head. He walked closer as I kept my head to the sky, watching them fall from the sky. "Well, normally if they fall, it means that winter's coming closer...Are you sure you've never seen them before?"

"No...never. They're...they're beautiful, but they're cold."

"Reminds me of someone I know," he said, looking at me.

"Really? Who?" I looked down and asked. Shino smiled and shook his head. I looked back up. "The only snow we ever got in Kusagakure were tiny pockets that stayed up in the tall grass. After I left, I always seemed to be in a different part of the world where it didn't snow..."

"Do you like it?"

"So far, yes..."

I felt Shino grab my hand and I looked at him. "I have to go now. I'll see you tomorrow night at the lake. Don't stay outside too long: I don't want you getting sick."

I was barely aware as he left. By time I got home, I couldn't feel my fingers or my nose.

****

Confession

The wind whistled past me as I stood waiting for Shino. The night seemed black around me, and the lake didn't help much.

"Sen...?" I heard from behind me. I remembered what I had done before. The last time we were here.

"So you actually had the nerve to come. After what had happened the last time."

"Of course. Do you think I would hold that against you?"

"I should hope not." The wind whistled loudly, reminding me of a scream. Reminding me of _Amaya's _scream. Her dying scream.

"Will you tell me?"

"Do you want to know?"

"Very much." His voice came from almost directly behind me.

I turned to him, my own hair almost smacking me in the face. Tears streamed out as I tried to choke the words from my throat. I felt like a dying frog, because I just couldn't spit out the right words. Shino took a step towards me. Just the opposite of what Amaya would have done. She would have stepped back, feared me, walked away, while Shino was coming to me, loving me, trying to comfort me.

"I...k-kill...k-k-killed h-h-her..." I finally spit out.

"What?" Shino asked. "Speak slower: I can't understand you."

"A-Amaya...sh-she wasn't...wasn't attacked...I k-killed...killed h-her...I killed her...I killed her! I killed Amaya! She's dead because of me! It's all my fault!" I managed.

Shino was holding me by my shoulders, but pulled me a little closer, comforting me. That's something he seemed to do a lot: comfort me. "Shhh...it's OK now...everything's OK...I'm here for you."

"No, it's not OK!" I sobbed, shaking in his arms. "I'm a murderer!"

"It's going to be alright now, I promise. No one's going to blame you for this. You're not a murderer. You just need some sleep."

"You...you think I'm crazy now, don't you...? You don't...you don't believe me. P-p-put it together, Shino! That day that I was in the...the hot spring, the water was...was a-a r-redish or-orange, wasn't it? That was...that was because I was...was covered in...bl-blood: h-her blood! I'm an...I'm...puh...please...I want to trust you...can...can I...tr-trust you?"

"You can trust me with anything."

"I'm an...an...an...Akat...Akatsu...Akatsuki m-member...A-Amaya knew that, and she...she hated me for it." Shino froze. "Please!" I screamed. "Don't leave me! I need you! A-Amaya left me, she was afraid of me! You're not! ...A-are you...? D-don't leave! I-I love you, I need you! Please--"

"Shhh...I'm not going to leave you. I love you, too, and I wouldn't dare leave you, even if you were the worst monster on the planet. I'm not going to tell anyone about you. I believe what you're saying. But I honestly think you need some sleep. You look like you haven't slept in weeks, and I can tell that you're tired." I shivered, but I was unsure if I was sobbing still or if I was cold.

I lost myself then, and retreated to a mere memory.

__

"So, Sen, what kinds of things have you done?" The old man said, smiling behind a beard. His cane was gripped firmly and digging a hole into the soft earth. Green grasses towered overhead.

The young girl turned from her battle, looking towards her sensei. Dark grey circles were hiding beneath her eyes, but dedication and determination shown in the small, dull blue orbs that sunk into her skull. "I've killed people," she answered simply. Her dark green tank top and brown shorts made her blend into the surroundings, but her bone white skin made her stick out against the dark grasses. Suddenly, her opponent shoved her forward, and she landed face first in the dirt. The old man's sweet laughter rang in her ears. Such a pleasant noise.

"You've killed people, eh? Such a strong young girl! Ah, but such is the life of a Shinobi." He aknowledged the other boy that had been watching the girl's battle with Midori. "Tsuba, it's your turn. Sen, you must stand and fight. A Shinobi who gives in wins no battles." He sat on a stump, smiling and chuckling at his students' talents.

And the memory froze on the sweet old man's smile.

My body was weak from being shuddered by sobs, but I had stopped, and my breathing was beginning to regulate. I was still in Shino's arms, and he was silent. I pulled away from him slowly, wiping tears from my own eyes. I tried my best to avert my eyes from him, but I could feel his gaze on me intently.

"What...?" I whispered, trying to sound calm, but my voice shook.

"Are you serious about those things?"

"Would I lie to you?" I looked up at him, wanting innocence to show, but none did. I turned away. "I'm going home now," I told him. I felt like he was going to say something, but he didn't. It almost upset me that he didn't say anything, but I ignored it. I walked home alone the entire way.

****

Found!

The air was growing colder as I came closer to the ice waters. I had been sent on a mission, but it was for Lady Tsunade. I was on my way back. Around me was the cold mud that was aroudn the cold water. A few miles into the water, the ice was already thick enough to stand on.

"Sen?" I heard a familiar voice. Upon turning around, I saw something that made my eyes grow wide and my jaw dropped. Taboo. "What do you think you're doing here?" His black eyes narrowed. The wind blew his blue-ish black hair around his face, framing his pale skin.

"What are _you _doing here," I asked in turn, "after what you did to Naruto?"

Sasuke's eyes eased. "I refuse to speak about such a matter."

"Why did you leave?" I hissed.

"Lord Orochimaru misses you back in Otogakure," he said, ignoring my words and smiling.

__

"Why did you leave?!"

I repeated, gritting my teeth.

"I left for the same reason you did," he turned away from me as he spoke, facing the sun that seemed cold as the ice in his presence. The situation didn't feel right. It was a warm, yet wintery, day. But in Sasuke's taboo presence, it felt too cold. Perhaps it was just the hate that coursed through my veins.

"And what was that?! Stupidity?! Lust for power?! Or was it hate, hate for your only family left?" My eyes thinned.

"You said that you hated your brother," he retorted, "and that you wanted to kill him. Why are you asking me such a question when you are merely doing the same?"

"I have my reasons," I whispered, looking down at my feet.

"And I have mine. You said we were so alike."

"We _are."_

"If you really were a true Uchiha, Uchiha Senari, and you weren't just adopted by an Uchiha, you could have the Mangekyo Sharingan by now." Sasuke turned back to me, smiling.

"What do you mean?" I glared at him.

"I mean, you did kill your best friend, didn't you?" A wide grin spread across his face.

Tears pooled in the corners of my eyes. I clenched my fists, digging my fingernails deep into the soft flesh of my palm and feeling the warmth bleeding over my cold fingers. "How do you know? And she wasn't my friend! She never was..."

"I know someone who is...a spy of his _own _accord." A small chuckle escaped his lips.

"Come back with me," I urged. "I'm on my way back to Konoha! Naruto's there. He misses you. We all do. You're nothing but taboo now."

"I _should_ be." He turned away again.

"You don't want to make the same mistake I did. Come back with me, please!" I smiled sweetly and folded my hands together. "You're only going to get yourself hurt. I thought Lord Orochimaru was a good person," _and I still do, _"but I know his true intentions! He's going to--"

"Enough. If you're going to mumble and shout and plead like a worthless rat, then we may as well be fighting," he hissed. "Let's let our fists do the talking this time, Sen."

My eyes narrowed. "If that's the way you want it," I drew my kunai, "then that's the way you're getting it. I'm going to bring you back, even if you don't want to. I'm going to prove to everone else that I'm not the evil monster they think I am!"

He smirked. "Hmph. Do you know who you sound like?"

"I'm fairly certain," I hissed. I ran at him, striking with my kunai. He blocked it with his own kunai, and pushed me back. I stood up. "I won't let you beat me, I swear it."

"Upon what? You've nothing."

"I've everything!" I protested. I bent down and took the weights off of my ankles. Looking up at him, I ran and attacked. He blocked every move.

"Sakon did...tell me that you were an incredibly fast fight--Oof!" I landed a blow to his diaphragm. He fell backwards, and his Oto attire blew around him. A dust cloud billowed around him.

__

Snake, ram, monkey, boar, horse, tiger...Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!

Cupping my hands in a binocular-like position around my mouth, I felt the familiar burning sensation in the back of my throat and mouth. The heat intesified and spewed out of my mouth into a fireball at least fourteen meters in diameter. Over the blazing inferno, I somehow heard Sasuke whispering.

"How did she...? Is she really an Uchiha...?"

"I'm not an Uchiha, Sasuke. But I have a Kekkei Genkai, and I was adopted by an Uchiha. You're forgetting that, aren't you?" I shouted.

Through the clearing smoke came four kunai with paper bombs. None of them were aimed for my heart, my head, or my throat. What was he thinking? They exploded directly behind me, but not close enough to hurt me.

"C'mon! You can do better than that Sasuke!" I shouted. I felt my Cursed Mark burning up over the side of my face, and the entire left side of my body.

"I _did." _I heard his voice and saw a silhouette of him hunched over. "Chidori: One Thousand Birds!" I knew what Chidori was, and knew it well. I also knew that I had to block it, somehow, someway. I attemtped a Jutsu, but it didn't work. I was too late. The electric charge surged through my body and I was sent flying into the cold water.

The water felt like ice itself as if stung through my skin. The plant fibers beneath my skin were meant to keep me warm as chloroplasts let actual plants use photosynthesis, but they were doing the exact opposite. I heard Sasuke whisper a few words as the water engulfed me: "Hush, now, don't cry." His image grew darker and small, sinking away. I realized _I _was the one sinking.

I pulled and clawed at the water in vain. No, not in vain. I pulled myself farther and farther up, closer to Sasuke. I saw he was standing at the edge of the water, in the mud. The clouds above had closed in, creating darkness around us. The water had turned darker and murkier with the coming of such clouds. Closer, closer, until...

I grabbed his foot and dragged him into the water.

He emitted a small noise that sounded startled. Through the dark of the water, I could barely make out the shape of Sasuke's face. Putting my hands on his shoulders, I pressed down harder. I felt his hands ripping at my arms, trying to pull himself back up. Several times, he managed to push me below him. It was like a race to see who could get the closer to the surface. Judging by the temperature of the water, I figured we were getting closer and closer to the ice. I felt Tsume's power taking over and the changes ensued. The purple Chakra engulfed me, and lit up the image of Sasuke struggling for breath. He pulled on my Ninja-regulation sandals and they slipped right off. As they sunk to the bottom of the who-knows-how-deep lake, I wriggled free of his grasp, and he of mine.

I climbed onto the cold and freezing ice, coughing and sputtering for air. The ice froze to my palms and the bare sides of my feet as I poised myself into an animal-like stance. Sasuke stood staring at me, prepared to strike. Suddenly, Tsume made me start running. I felt the ripping and slicing as the flesh and some muscle was ripped out of my hands and feet from the freezing ice. I smelled blood in the air. As I neared, Sasuke hit me so hard that I was knocked back onto the ice, on my back. The water on my back caused me to become frozen to the ice, and I couldn't move. Not even Tsume's incredible will allowed me to sit up. I screamed in frustration.

Sasuke stood over me, watching me with uninterested eyes. "Sakon told me you work better with your Cursed Mark. He also said that you've been slacking off your Cursed Mark training since you left. You don't finish what you started. You really are worthless," he whispered before leaving me. I thought I could feel hypothermia sinking in, but I wasn't sure. I was stuck there, stuck to the ice, in that position, and I was all alone. I was fairly certain I was going to die. And then it suddenly went black.

--

"Sen? Sen?" A voice sang.

"Quit it, you dummy! That's gonna hurt her!" I eased my eyes open to find myself in my room in the Akatsuki lair. Around me stood Sensei and Tobi. Sensei's arms were folded and Tobi was jumping up and down.

"Is Sen awake? Is Sen awake?" Tobi asked, hardly audible through the gaps in his speech due to his chronic jumping-up-and-down.

"Shut up, and maybe we'll find out, hmmm!" Sensei hissed.

"What happened?" I moaned.

"Yay! Sen's awake!" Tobi started clapping, and Sensei rolled his eyes -- er, _eye. _

"You had a run-in with Itachi's brother Sasuke. You got the skin ripped off of your hands and feet, hn. Also, you've got some of the skin torn off your back, along with some intense frostbite. I suggest you stay laying down, un." I saw all of the bandages on my body. I was in nothing but bandages and underwear. There were bandages wrapped tightly around my hands and feet, too.

"Sasuke...?" I asked, squinting one eye in pain.

"You're not supposed to train for about a week. Got it?" I nodded as the two males exited my room and in came Kaarayomihi. I smiled at him, even though he slightly feared me.

"Why are you here?"

He replied, "Thought I'd see how you're doing. Pein told me we're supposed to be mission partners when you're all healed, and I've noticed how Kisame is worried about Itachi's well-being, so I figured we need to be good partners and worry about each when we're hurt."

"It's not good to worry." I frowned.

"Well, not 'worry' necessarily, but...We should at least be concerned, right?" He folded his arms.

"In other words," I taunted, "you actually care about me, Kaarayomihi. You don't want me to get hurt, do you?"

"You are sort of like a little sister to me," he admitted. I smiled. He frowned and pretended to be tough by clearing his throat. "Well, I just wanted to come in and see how you're doing. I have training to get to!" Kaarayomihi rushed out of the room. I closed my eyes and was sleep soon enough.


	26. Instigation of Hate 26 Truth or Lie?

**Painless**

Right to left, right to left, my eyes skimmed. Scrolls were piled under the covers of my bed. Forbidden scrolls I wasn't supposed to read. Scrolls about my brother. I thirsted to know the past, to know _my _past, and _his _past...It was the old Akatsuki lair, the empty one by Konohagakure. The bedroom was cold, and my fingers were clumsy and numb.

"Senari, why are there so many scrolls missing from the libra--" My brother burst into the room, and his eyes grew narrow and angry. "_You've_ got them. Do you think I'm that stupid? You idiot! You're not supposed to read those!"

I dropped the scroll that was in my hands. "I-I'm sorry, Brother! I just...I wanted to--"

"Wanted to be a little rat?! Don't you ever think I give you these rules for a reason?!" He grabbed me by my hair and pulled me away from my desk. I winced, emitting a little squeak. "See? You even _squeak_like a rat, too!" Zetsu shoved me out into the hallway, which was slightly warmer than the old and outdated bedroom. My knees went weak at the sudden movement and I slammed into the wall. My arm burned, and I realized I must've broken it. From the doorway of my bedroom, I saw the wavering image of my brother glaring at me. "Quit getting into things you're not supposed to!" He held a kunai towards my face, his arm outstretched so far that the point of the kunai was about four centimeters away from my face. "What's your problem?! Why are you so defiant of those greater than you?! Why do you never listen to anyone?!"

Words stung my tongue, burned and itched to be spewed out. And I let them. "Because of you!" I shouted through tears.

"What..?! Did you just _argue _with me?!" Zetsu's eyes narrowed.

"Yes," I admitted, wincing slightly, expecting the kunai to plunge through my eye.

"Why you little..." He mumbled. My hand rose shakingly, and I brought it closer and closer to the kunai, until...

I heard the sickening slicing and crunching of the kunai, but felt nothing.

Blood dripped over the kunai, over my hand, onto the floor. "Look at me," I whispered. Zetsu's hand was still on the hilt of the kunai. I could see his eyes glossing over, shimmering, and wavering. Fear. Unmistakable. My voice grew gradually louder with each word I said. "Look what you've done to me, big brother. You made me into a monster. This pain...I can't feel it. Look at me. Look at what you've made me!" I pushed my hand towards his face. "_You _did this to me! _You _made me into this...this selfish, unfeeling monster!"

He shook his head slowly, backing towards the exit of the hallway. "No...I didn't...I was only trying to...It's not my fault..." And he ran. I yanked the kunai out of my hand and let it sit on the floor. I stumbled back into the room, closing the door with my foot. I swiped all the scrolls off the bed, savoring the angry pain as it rushed through my broken arm. As the scrolls scattered to the floor, papers flying, I found my bandages and wrapped both of my injuries tightly. I didn't see my brother for the rest of the night.

**Reasons And...The Truth?**

I was dreaming, I knew it, but I couldn't stop it. Couldn't wake up. Couldn't save myself from my own memories.

_A little girl, sitting in a dark closet, crying. She's not even three yet. She has black hair and pure white skin, and a small withered rose lay perched behind her ear. A shaft of light sparkles on her wet tears, and she looks up. Fear shows in her dull blue eyes. Her older brother smiles at her pitifully, the one like her, the one with the odd skin and the large plant around his head. He speaks to her softly, comforts her, tells her that everything is OK. A new bruise shows on the little girl's arm, a deep purple against her snow-white skin. Her brother scoops her up, cradles her, and whispers, "It's OK, sister. Mommy and Daddy and everyone else will be gone soon...They won't hurt you anymore."_

And the scene changed.

_"You little monster!" The woman screeches and swats at her daughter with a broom. The little girl -- the same one -- screams and crawls away, covering her face with her own arm. "I never wanted you! You were born a demon! You're a mistake!" The other children simply watch; none of them wants to help their sister. Except one boy. He watches, concerned. He contemplates helping his baby sister, but he knows mother will hit him, too. Father will be home soon, but not even he will help his little girl. Mother swats at her daughter again and again, but missing every time. "I hate you!" She finally hits the right way, and the little girl covers her eyes. She feels no impact, feels no pain. Instead, she hears mother screaming, "Zetsu, you little brat! Get out of my way, or I'll hit you, too! You're both monsters! She's a demon and you're a cannibalistic freak! Why can't you be like your brothers and sisters?!" Her brother says nothing, and neither does she. He only holds her tightly, refuses to let mother hurt her, no matter how much that mother hurts him._

_"Don't worry," he whispers in her ear -- and she hears a smile in his voice, "I'll protect you."_

Another changed of scene.

_Tears break past her eyelids as she sleeps. Dark surrounds her. Not even the mural of pandas eating bamboo can protect her from the horror outside her room. Angry screams and name-calling is all she can hear outside her door. She hears the squeak of the door cracking open. She loses her breath. There is hand on her shoulder. The skin on the hand is completely black, and she realizes that she's safe. A warm smile spreads on her brother's face. "Mother's done for tonight," he whispers and sits on the edge of her bed. She turns towards her brother and curls up against him._

_"When?" She asks, her voice frail and whisper-like._

_"Tomorrow night, I promise." There seems to be something that only the two of them know, and no one else does._

_"You said that last week, Big Brother..." The little girl whispers, and a yawn escapes her lips. "Will you sing me a lullaby?" A hopeful look spreads across her face. Her brother smiles, giggles in a boyish way._

_"Of course, sister. Anything to make you happy." He begins to whisper-sing a sweet lullaby, one that she loves ever-so much. Despite her comfort, something inside her worries about Mother coming in, finding him in her room without permission, and _singing. _Mother hated that most of all: singing. She said that singing turned strong men into weak boys, and that it was meant only for women. Nonetheless, the little girl pulls the blanket up over her face and curls closer to her brother. He strokes her hair gently, trying to comfort the two-year-old. She hears only these words before she falls asleep, "Don't worry any longer, sister. Mother and Father and the others will be gone tomorrow, and you'll forget them. Hopefully you'll forget me, too..."_

I wasn't awake, but I wasn't asleep. I don't know what was going on with my mind, or what it was doing to my dreams. But somehow, somehow that I couldn't explain, I realized something. I didn't know if it was true or not, and I'm not sure if I ever will, but I realized that Zetsu had lied to me. But I was confused. I didn't hate him -- did I? When I was younger, he actually loved me, called me a sister -- right? He had implanted the memory -- the _fake _memory -- of having a loving mother and father and sisters and brothers, but he was really the only one that had been loving -- or were the _dreams_ the fake memories? What _were_ these dreams? Were they real? Was I regaining my memory? I had to be. Memories don't lie...

Do they?

--

"Big Brother," I mumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Zetsu turned to me, half glaring, half curious.

"You just broke a rule, Sen," he hissed.

"I-I know," I said, no fear to my voice. I looked to him differently now. The high collar of my Akatsuki cloak hung funny around my neck, and one sleeve was longer than the other. My hair was a mess, and I looked absolutely disheveled. "But I have a question."

"Oh, what do you want now? I'm busy, you know." He sighed, and I could hear the confusion in voice. I couldn't tell what else there was. It sounded like anger and malice for one moment, but curiosity and kindness the next.

"I wanna know everything." Brother's eyes narrowed. "I wanna know what our family was like, why you erased my memory, why you killed them, how old you really are...my name. Everything."

"You're brave," he mumbled, turning away, "for coming to me like this. You would normally get in big trouble for doing something like this."

"Will you tell me?"

"You used to confide in me so much, Sen." I could hear regret in his voice, but he didn't turn back to me. "Why don't you confide in me anymore? Be honest."

"I don't trust you," I admitted, no shame.

"I figured as much...You used to. You had questions? Ask away." I could hear the _scritch-scritch _as he hurriedly scratched down things in a scroll echoing through the almost vacant room. I lost all of my breath as he became such an open book. The sound stopped. "Well? If you're just going to stand there and waste my time, you might as well go back to bed and sleep the rest of the day away."

I swallowed hard, saying the first thing that came to my mind. "How old are you, really?"

"Twenty-one," he answered with no waver to his voice. The _scritch-scritch _noise resumed, faster now.

I paused. "What was our family like?"

"Evil," he mumbled.

"What do you mean?" I heard Zetsu put his pen down.

"I mean they hated us. You were like me, Sen." He turned to me. "We were the only two who were identical in our problems. Our mother knew I was cannibalistic, and she knew your destiny. She told us she hated us and she hit us. Those of a feather stick together, they say...and you and I were 'of a feather.' I know you know about Nisei already; don't pretend you don't. Although Nisei wasn't like the two of us, she still loved us. The only one who did. She was like a surrogate mother. The others were exactly like our mother and father: hateful, spiteful, malicious." He seemed to have no problem remembering this.

"If Nisei loved us, then why did you kill her?" My eyes narrowed.

"I didn't tell her." Was he keeping secrets from me? No, I wouldn't allow it! _I _was in control now, not him! He couldn't lie to me now! He wouldn't dare! Would he?

"Tell her what?"

"You knew I was going to kill them, but I planned to tell Nisei, so she would understand. You wouldn't wait to let me tell her, and she saw me kill one of our brothers. She died of shock immediately. I couldn't stop it. Believe me, I grieved for her as much you would have."

"Would have? What do you mean?"

"You would have grieved had you remembered."

"Then why did you erase my memory?!" I spat.

"You wanted me to." That was Zetsu's only answer.

"That's it...? You can't come up with something better? Come on, you've lied enough! Just give me an artful lie if you have to! If you're going to lie, then do it right! Give me a beautifully painted lie that I can believe! Something out of a faerie-tale! Sugar-coat it! Don't just give me a stone tablet of a lie! I want a masterpiece!" I snapped.

"I'm not lying to you!" He snapped in return. Then Brother's voice softened. "I can't lie to you anymore, not now...You wanted the pain to be gone, and never to return. So I erased your memory of that night and everything that happened before it. I implanted memories that weren't real, ones that made me into the bad person who did everything wrong. As far as you knew, you had had a loving family who loved you for who you were, and one corrupt older brother that liked no one. It was the other way around. What you think happened that night isn't even true. You watched me do everything, watched me kill all of them. And then, I sent you to your room, erased your memory, and implanted new memories. Naive, you came running through the blood, and thought you had stopped me before I left. I did that on purpose, so you could find me later. I told you a lie then, too. You thought I had erased your memory then, but it was only a Genjutsu. I only erased your memory to protect you, because you're my sister, and I love you."

Tsume hissed in my mind, telling me what to say. "If you loved me so much, then why do you still hit me, why do you still yell at me, why do you hurt me if I wanted the pain gone?! Why?!" Tears pooled in the corners of my eyes.

"I wanted to seem to justify those fake memories, so you would think I really killed them for such a selfish reason."

"Then what's my name?" I hissed.

I heard him sigh. "As far as you know..." he whispered, regret lingering for a long time, "you didn't have a name..." My eyes narrowed, and anger set in. But something happened. I could then hear a smile in Zetsu's voice. "But you're back now, and you know. We can finally make things OK again, and be brother and sister." He turned to me, then, and I lost my breath. There was something about him that I never thought I would see. In his eyes there was a brotherly gaze, one filled with love and worry. On his lips was a smile, a sweet, kind smile. The same one that he had had in my memories.

I bit my bottom lip, and tears poured out silently. I felt compelled to do something, and did the first thing that came to my mind. Reaching out my arms, I walked closer, and hugged him. My brother. But it didn't feel right. I had hated him for so long, blamed him, told everyone that I was going to kill my older brother because of what he'd done. But we'd done it together. We'd killed the family because they had hated us, because they thought we were monsters, because we were alike. Then, I couldn't help but think of Amaya, the words she said right before she had passed out when I fought with my Cursed Mark for the first time, the things I had said to her.

_"My brother will_ die_...and I'll love it!...Forget me...I'll learn Jutsu and kill him. ...__The night my brother killed them all...he didn't spare me. He killed my soul. My physical body is here and so is my mentality, but my spirit is somewhere safe. I died when I was three, Amaya, and I live only to destroy him!"_

_"How could you live only to kill another human being?!"_

_"...What happens when you have no heart to break, no soul to kill, no breath to steal?!"_

_"Then...then you really are dead." Amaya looked down, seemingly ashamed of herself._

_Somehow, Amaya smiled, blood trickling out of her mouth and pain etched into her face. "I could have...done better. But you're always...so st-stubborn...I hope you...reach your...your goal..." _

And everything that happened when...when she died.

_"Sen..." she reached to me, her fingers only a half centimeter away from my face. I took her hand, knowing what was going to happen. She froze, and fell limp to the ground, screaming._

_"Sen," Kaede started, "would you like to do the honors?"_

_If I were to do this, I would be doing it on my own. I was calm now, scared, but calm. There was no power nor adrenaline screaming through my veins. But there was Amaya, screaming._

_"Amaya, won't you ever forgive me...?"_

_"Amaya, won't you ever forgive me...?" _

_"Amaya, won't you ever forgive me...?" _

The last words I had said to her rang in my ears, bringing pain to my heart. I felt the blood trickling down my arms. The wounds she had inflicted never healed, no matter what ointment I put on them. If I thought of her, they bled and they hurt worse then when she had caused them. And this proved it. This proved everything. I really was a monster. I had had murder in my heart when I was two years old, and I have murder in my heart now.

"I'm a monster..." I whispered.

"No, you're not," Zetsu tried to comfort me as he had done so often when we younger.

"Yes, I am...and you can't tell me I'm not."

"I know why you're like this."

"What?" I asked.

"I can fix it, but you'll just have to trust me."

"What did you say?!" I asked again, pushing away from him violently.

"You'll find out later. Go now, do whatever you wish." I stared at him. His eyes narrowed. "I'm still your superior in the Akatsuki, and that means go."

"Yes, Brother," I said, exiting the room.

**What He Meant**

"Sen," Came Sensei's voice, "hurry up, un! We're missing Hidan, and you have the same ring position as he does! You have to take his place in the Demon Extraction Room!" I opened my eyes to see Sensei. He looked frantic. "Hurry, hmmm!" He fled from my room. Quickly, I pulled my Akatsuki cloak over my head and slipped my ring on the right finger. Deidara sensei was right: Hidan san and I did have the same ring position, which was the left ring finger.

I rushed to the Demon Extraction Room, which everyone was already in. All of the Akatsuki members beside those that are stand-ins like me, which include Kaede, Kaarayomihi, Naomi, and Mailo, were in position. The stand-ins weren't even in the room. But yet Hidan was there.

"Sensei," I said, "I thought you said that Hidan san wasn't here."

"I lied," he mumbled.

I heard Leader say, "Now, Sasori!" I suddenly felt a piece of rope being tied around my wrists, and there was a weapon of some kind at my throat.

"What's going on?" I asked, startled. I was dragged over to the wall, where I was chained in the position of the Jinchuuriki. Before me were the 'Two Hands Of Akatsuki,' or the two hands that everyone stood on for the extraction Jutsu. And, indeed, everyone was in position. "What are you doing?!" I screamed. Zetsu come closer, pity and sorrow in his yellow eyes. "Brother, stop them, please."

He smiled and gently stroked my hair. "I told you I could fix why you're like this. It won't take long, and it'll all be fixed in three days. I promise." He began to walk back to his position on the right hand.

"You can't let them do this to me! I thought you loved me!" I screamed, crying.

Zetsu turned back to me, frowning. "I'm doing this _because _I love you. I'm doing this _for _you."

"Let us begin," Leader said. "Zetsu, you keep watch as best you can."

"Understood," Brother mumbled.

"Please!" I screamed. I could tell it was hard for my brother to ignore me, to ignore my screams. But the Jutsu began. The Jutsu I had only seen being used. And now I know how much it really hurt. Tsume was holding on to my mind as much as she could. She didn't want to leave, and I wasn't about to let her. I needed her. Pain coursed through my veins, and I screamed. Before I knew it, ten minutes passed, then twenty, then thirty, and soon enough three whole hours of pain had passed. Only sixty-nine more hours.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Came an angered female voice. The pain ceased, and I opened one eye. All the way across the room, at the entrance, stood both Kaede and Kaarayomihi. Kaede stormed in. "Get her down from there! You idiots! What are you doing to her?! Kaara, go unlock those chains." Kaarayomihi nodded and ran towards me.

"Sen, are you OK?" He asked worriedly, undoing the chains.

"I just endured three hours of intense pain from an attempt at the Demon Extraction Jutsu. What...do you..._think, _Kaarayomihi?"

"Heh...sorry." He undid the last chain, and I rubbed my wrist. The only background noise was Kaede screaming and yelling at the Akatsuki like school children. I thought I could trust them, and yet they tried to kill me. "So, what was that?"

"They tried to take out Tsume," I whispered.

"Sen, don't say her name, remember?"

"Why?"

"Nekkyo..." was his only answer.

"Oh! OK, I remember now." I remembered how much Nekkyo, his demon which was actually Shukaku(Gaara's demon)'s younger brother, always tormented Kaarayomihi each time he heard Tsume's name. I instinctively had a strong, internal dislike for Kaara, because of our demons clashing. You see, Tsume absolutely hated Nekkyo. She hated him as much as she loved Kyuubi, but it was exactly the opposite for Nekkyo. Actually, it sort of reminded me of my relation with Sakon. Nonetheless, Kaara and I were still friends, despite Nekkyo and Tsume.

I watched as Kaede yelled at the Akatsuki, telling her how much things were going to change after she took up leadership. I began to feel lightheaded, and leaned on Kaara's shoulder. He sucked in a sharp breath.

"Sen," I heard worry in his voice, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah...I'm just," I yawned, "lightheaded..."

"That's not good, that's not good..." he mumbled. "Try talking to Tsu...eh, your demon."

I closed my eyes and focused on Tsume, and Tsume only. She was there, where she was supposed to be.

_Tsume, are you OK? _I heard my own voice echoing through the forests of my mind.

_Yes, dear... _In turn, her voiced boomed sullenly, frightening the shapes of the fireflies. _I just need...some rest. That's all. Do not worry about me, love._

Upon opening my eyes, I saw Kaara staring at me, his eyes wide and worried. It looked so odd to see him like that! One orange eye, on red eye, both wide and scared to death! I smiled, and giggled, and before I knew it, I was doubling over laughing.

"Sen! Sen, what's wrong?!" He pleaded. The Akatsuki were elsewhere, and we had somehow gotten in the Akatsuki living room. I heard Kaede sigh, and saw her cross her arms out of the corner of my eye.

"She thinks you look stupid," Kaede mumbled, unenthusiastic.

"What?!" Kaara said grudgingly. "I do _not _look stupid!"

"Yes, you do!" I said, through sobbing gasps for air in my laughing. "Your eyes were _HUGE!"_

"At least we know she's OK, now..." Kaede smiled. Then, she walked up to me, flicked me in the forehead, and I heard her voice changing as she spoke. I realized it was Chiyo talking to Tsume and I. _"You two, I swear, need to learn some things. Don't ever scare us like that, kits."_

I nodded, feeling my eyes become very cold as they grew bright chartreuse. Tsume spoke to her sensei through me. _"My greatest apologies, Chiyo sensei. Sen and I did not know what was happening, and so we could not fight back. She would not let me."_

_"Don't blame it on your host, you imbecile!" _Chiyo hissed through Kaede's teeth.

Then, Nekkyo took over Kaara and joined the conversation. _"Tsume! So glad to know you're still alive! Ha, ha! Looks like you got caught, too!"_

_"Stay away," _Tsume hissed. _Let's go to bed now, dearest._

_Yes, Tsume. _I stood up and walked away obediently. "Goodbye," I said, putting up the peace sign behind me as I walked to my room.

I acted so professional about what was happening. Stupid and naive, too. But I just couldn't understand it. I'm not sure if I ever will, either. Some part of me wanted to believe Zetsu really was what he claimed to be. But he had said that he was pretending to hate me. If he was pretending, then either he was a really good actor, or he was lying to me. Something inside of me -- the Shinobi instinct, I suppose -- told me never to trust someone like him. I wanted to trust him, I really wanted to, but I couldn't. Not now, not ever. But then again...

The truth is harder to believe than the lies, isn't it...?


	27. Instigation of Hate 27

_**--Author's Note--** My greatest apologies, for I am forgetful, and this next bold-titled scene is supposed to go in Chapter 13, as the Second Exam._

**Exam Number Two!**

A written exam? Who on earth could come up with something as useless as a written exam for the Chunin exams?! The questions were easy enough, and I covered my paper easily from the two boys sitting beside me. I saw one of them was cheating, as he had an earphone in that he kept pressing in his ear before he scribbled down an answer.

"Hey!" Came his nasally voice. I didn't look up as his cheating butt was dragged out of the Exam Hall and disqualified. His team was forced to leave, too.

"The written exam is over," Morino Ibiki, the proctor, said. I looked up, seeing the nervous looks on the faces of the Genin. I noticed that two people were asleep: Kaede and Shikamaru. Wait -- why was Kaede taking the exam? Then I remembered that she was training with some odd boy's team named Kabuto. I didn't trust him. "Now comes the tenth question. There are two parts to it. But you have to be careful. You can choose whether or not you want to answer the tenth question, but if you choose not to, then you and your teammates must leave immediately. If you choose to answer the question and get it right, you and your teammates will be moving on to the next exam. However, if you get it wrong, you _and _your teammates will be disqualified from ever becoming Chunin for the rest of your miserable lives. If you wish not to answer this question, leave now." Several chairs squeaked, and people stood up. They and their teams walked miserably out the door. I glanced warily toward all of my teammates. None of us had any intent on leaving. After the room had been decreased dramatically, Ibiki took a deep intake of breath. "For those of you who have decided to answer the tenth question...Congratulations, that was the tenth question and you passed. For those of you who didn't...well, that's just too bad for them. Now, I will hand you over to your new proctor."

A black banner dropped, and there were words written in white on it. A woman stepped out. "I can't believe you, Ibiki! You went soft, and you passed too many teams!"

"What can I say? There's some extraordinary talent this time..." Ibiki shrugged.

Then I recognized the woman. _Before _Kaede began waving her arm in the air idiotically and shouting, "Hey, Anko! What're you doing here?"

"I'm the proctor for the exam, you idiot! Now sit down!" Anko sighed and shook her head. She explained to us what was going to be happening, and took us all right to the edge of the Forest of Death.

--

"Be careful," I heard them all say at once. We had earphones attached to necklaces, and we were talking to one another quietly through them. Ten Ten, Neji, and Lee kun had entrusted the scroll to me. We had already devised a plan, and I was supposed to do it. I watched as Team Seven strolled lazily through the Forest of Death, bragging.

"I'm going in," I whispered into the earpiece.

"Don't lose the scroll," I heard Ten Ten hiss. I removed the necklace and let it sit on the tree, carefully placing it so it wouldn't fall.

I jumped down to the ground and shouted, "Naruto! Hello! How are you?" I smiled and curled my arms around Naruto's shoulder. I'm certain that if you saw our position from the front, you would think Naruto had two heads.

He looked at me curiously, but not suspiciously. Good. "Uh, hey, Sen...what're you doing?"

"I just thought I'd come and see how you are! Did you guys get your scrolls yet?" I replied, perky as could be.

"No," Sasuke mumbled. "And shut up, won't you? You sound like a bird." Kaara eyed me warily, but said nothing. In turn, Sakura eyed him, but...not warily. I think that she liked him.

I pretended to ignore Kaara and Sakura. "Ohhh, but you guys look like you need some cheering up!" Stealthily, I scanned my eyes over Naruto's body, trying to find where he was hiding that scroll. I knew that _he _had it. I'd seen him holding it. But I couldn't find it now! I pretended that my arm lost its grip on his shoulder, and let it fall. As it 'fell,' it brushed against Naruto's jacket. I couldn't feel the scroll anywhere. "Oops!" I said, giggling. Naruto pretended not to notice.

"I see how you are, Sen," Sasuke mumbled. I turned to him, honestly curious. He didn't look at me. Instead, he just looked ahead, hands in his pockets, a sly smile on his face. "You break up with me because someone told you I was cheating on you, and now you're trying to make a move on Naruto." My eyes grew wide, and I blushed. Definitely not planned!

"What?! What the heck do you mean?!" I could see Naruto was blushing, too. Then, I realized that I had to cover my mistake. My eye twitched as I said this, "OK, Sasuke...You got me this time. You r-read my...my mind." He raised an eyebrow, and I know he could tell I was lying. I heard Kaarayomihi snickering. I moved away from Naruto quickly, knowing I wasn't going to find the scroll like that any time soon.

I stretched my arms out behind my back and smiled, my eyes closed. "I'm sorry, Naruto san. Did I make you uncomfortable like that?"

"Uh..." Was his only response.

"C'mon, Sen. What're you here for?" Sasuke moaned, obviously getting irritated with my presence.

"I think _I _know why she's here," Sakura said, a suspicious tone to her voice. "I'll bet she's after our scroll."

"Yeah!" Naruto rallied in. I just stood there, an unflawed smile on my lips and my eyes closed, seemingly happy. "You're here to get our scroll, aren't you?!"

I giggled. "Now, what ever makes you think that?"

Kaara retorted, "Well, maybe the fact that this _is _the Second Exam, and the goal _is _to get another team's scroll..."

"How do you know that I didn't leave before the tenth question, but the rest of Team Guy wasn't eliminated because I'm not an original team member?" This was so easy!

"How do we know you're not lying?" Sasuke asked.

"I just wanna see which scroll you've got. If we've got the same one, I'll return to my team." I said innocently, opening my eyes.

"And if we _don't_ have the same scroll...?" Naruto intruded, anger in his voice.

"May the best man win. After all, anything goes..." I drew my kunai, and licked my lips. I could see Naruto fingering the mark on his cheek that Anko left when she had cut him earlier.

"Which scroll do you have?" Sasuke asked.

"How do you know that I have the scroll?"

"Because you're playing with our minds. Now where is it?" He crossed his arms.

"I told you, I don't have it! If you don't believe me, then do any of you want to try to search me?!" I held out my kunai, threatening them.

"Do you _realize_ who you're talking to?!" Naruto growled.

Kaarayomihi said, "Sen, understand, that if you choose to fight us, then it's one of you...against the four of us."

"I could take all of you on any day." My smile didn't move.

"Why you little...!" I could see that Naruto was about to attack me, but Sasuke stopped him.

"Naruto, if she wants to be so stubborn, then I have an idea. Instead of fighting us all at once, then she can fight each of us one by one, and she can even choose who she wants to fight each time."

"Gr...fine." Naruto crossed his arms, and turned away from Sasuke.

Kaarayomihi's eyes grew wide. "Uh, Sasuke...I wouldn't--"

"Secret Jutsu: Ice Crystals!" I blew between two of my fingers, and pale blue ice crystals formed on Kaara's lips, disabling him from speech. I knew exactly what was on Sasuke's mind. Sasuke knew that if I fought them all at once, they'd be beat pretty fast. But instead, they were trying to wear me down by having me fight them one by one. They probably thought that I would try to fight the strongest first, and continue gradually to the weakest. I smiled again. "I want to fight Sakura first," I whispered.

"Good luck, Sakura," Kaarayomihi said, since Sakura had released the ice Genjutsu I had put on him. Sakura stepped up towards me. I heard Sasuke telling us to start the battle.

"Ohh..." I moaned, and leaned against a tree. Sakura stood there, confused. "I feel lightheaded," I lied, pressing my hand flat against the tree. I fed my Chakra into it, and watched as Sakura was engulfed in vines. No, I didn't aim to kill her or anything. I just immobilized her by wrapping the vines around her waist. I wasn't allowed to kill while I was in Konoha. "Never believe your opponent," I instructed.

She did a couple of hand signs, and I was engaged in a Genjutsu. You see, being caught in Genjutsu was one of my weaknesses, as one of the few ways to get out of them was to hurt yourself and focus on the pain. The only way I could do that and actually feel the pain was to mortally wound myself, which would give my opponent the advantage.

Pink flower petals floated in the air around me. I wasn't about to let myself go down covered in _pink. _So, I focused on one real thing. I remembered when Ten Ten told me not to lose the scroll, and I focused on those words. I began to feel the 'petals' scratching and slicing at my skin. _Don't lose the scroll, _came the irritated voice of Ten Ten in the back of my mind, repeating over and over. And soon, I fell to my knees, the Genjutsu gone. I glared up at her, and quickly did my own Genjutsu. I know it was stupid, and probably useless, but why not fight fire with fire?

"Dark Style Genjutsu: Pins and Needles!" The area around us went black, and the vines disappeared. Small demons pulled themselves out from the ground, and poked and prodded her with swords and other painful weapons.

Finally, I heard her screaming, "Enough! I don't know how to stop the Genjustu! Stop, please! I forfeit!" And I cancelled the Genjutsu. She scrambled back to Sasuke, and he ignored her.

"Kaara," I said, choosing my next opponent. His face drained of all color and he told me he didn't want to fight, so he forfeit. "Simple enough. Sasuke, it's your turn." I smiled sarcastically at him, and he sighed, stepping closer and standing in battle-ready stance.

"Let's get this over with," he mumbled. Naruto told us to begin the battle, and I started off with some simple-enough high-speed Taijutsu. Sasuke seemed overwhelmed, and activated his Sharingan.

"Behold!" I shouted, laughing. "The legacy of Haku!" I did all the hand signs. "Secret Jutsu: Crystal Ice Mirrors!" I saw all three of Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto's exasperated looks, and the shock on their faces. I wonder why? The Mirrors appeared, and so did the shimmering images of me. Sasuke was caught in the very middle. "Try to find me now, Sasuke." Each of the Mirror images of me pulled out a kunai, and threw it at Sasuke. A few of them stuck in his skin, as real as the Ninjutsu itself. I saw him trying to use his Sharingan to find which one was the real me. "Good luck," I whispered, and my voice resounded, throwing itself from every one of the Mirrors. After a while, watching him squirm became boring to me.

_You're so much like Orochimaru, dearest, _Tsume commented, laughing. _You can't stand things that stay still._

_So true, Tsume. _I cancelled the Jutsu. After a little bit of some more Taijutsu, Sasuke managed to hit me with the Barrage of Lions. It wasn't as bad as the Primary Lotus when Lee kun messes it up and forgets he's only supposed to wrap _one _of you in bandages so you both go crashing disastrously to the ground, but it still hurt a little. After that, a simple Genjutsu was all it took to make Sasuke forfeit.

"Naruto san," I giggled. "You up for the challenge?"

"As ready as I'll ever be!" Naruto said, angry. "You're gonna eat my dust! You'll never get our scroll!"

"You were the one who wanted the battle in the first place, Naruto san." I accused.

"Get over it!" He snarled. Sasuke told us to begin, and I'll admit, it was a little difficult to fight him and get a step ahead. After all, if your opponent is a step behind you physically, that just means that they're two steps ahead of you strategically. Shikamaru taught me that. Naruto was _very _upset with me, and I could tell it. I could feel the driving force behind every blow, and yet I goaded him on. I refused to use anything but Taijutsu on him, because all of my Ninjutsu and Genjutsu may render him useless to the Akatsuki, and where would my moral standing in the Akatsuki be if I did that?

Finally, I knocked him down to the ground on his back. With one knee on his chest to restrict breathing and both of his arms pinned down, I grinned. "You're the only one I _can't _kill here, Naruto san. Don't you feel so special?"

"You'll never get the scroll! You have no idea where it is, and I'm not going to tell you!"

"What if I promise that I can get you a sixty-percent discount at Ichiraku?" I bribed. He looked tempted, but looked away.

"No way! I won't fall into bribes, not at all!"

"Oh, fine, then. I guess I'll just have to finish the battle." I frowned, and just as I was going to attempt an almost worthless Ninjutsu, I heard a voice in the tree behind me.

"Sen, we have found an easier target. Let us leave Team Seven alone, but we must get the scroll somehow! Come, the faster the better!"

"Yes, Lee kun." I said, and stood. I leaped up on to the tree branch. Pulling down the bottom of one eye with my finger and sticking out my tongue, I taunted, "See you later, Naruto san!"

As Lee kun and I left, ever-so-speedily, he looked to me and said, "You are becoming quite cocky, Sen. That is not normal for you." A frown adorned his face.

"I know, Lee kun, it's a horrible habit. There's just something that's...not exactly right lately, and I don't know what it is." I put my hand to my shoulder, and ran my fingers over the black mark. It was there, I knew it, and I hid it so I wouldn't be criticized, but I couldn't feel it. It pulsed with searing pain at random times, and sometimes it was almost unbearable.

In the end of the Chunin Exams, Exam Number Two, Team Guy made it through.

_**--Author's Note--**OK, now the rest of this story goes back in sync with Chapter Twenty-Six._

**Don't Lie**

I couldn't stand it. I felt so horrible, so wretched. I hated her for it. How dare she. How dare she make me feel so horrible, so wretched and disgusting. I had my weapons now, and my Jutsu. I could do it very easily. Tsume was asleep, so she couldn't interfere. But I had to do something else first. Something to clear all my obstacles. I had already learned that I couldn't bleed to death, as my wrists already had many scars, bloodless and white. A perfect lie formulated in the back of my mind, and a perfect death. They'd never know the cause of death was suicide.

Sitting in my room, darkness surrounding me, I removed the bandage-gloves. I clutched and unclutched my hands several time, remembering all the blood that had been on them my whole life, how much destruction they'd caused. I don't know why people wanted me to stay in this world. I was just a danger, and I was going to hurt people. I'd be more helpful dead, and other, innocent people wouldn't die. Tears were streaming down my face, and I had already gotten mad at myself once. Why did I always have to cry?! What was wrong with me?! Why was I so weak?! Brother would never be proud of me if I cried like I did. So I decided it was time.

I stood up, and I didn't even bother to put my bandages on my arms before I walked out the door. I knew where Shino lived, and he was the only one who needed to hear. I walked slowly through the deep blue night to his house. I knocked on the front door, and he answered the door. I smiled fakely, rubbing my bare arm uncomfortably. That was a mistake.

"Sen? What are you doing here? Is there something going on?" He sounded concerned.

"Oh...no, nothing much. I just came to tell you goodbye..." He seemed shocked, but I maintained my feigned innocent smile. "I have to go somewhere for..." I whispered, "Akatsuki duties," my voice resumed normal level, "and I may not be back for a while. A long time, actually. But I promise, Shino, when I return, I won't feel this horrible anymore. Thsi is the last night that I'm going to feel like this. So...I just wanted to say that I love you, and I'll come back later." I hugged him. "Goodbye." I turned and began to walk away. I heard the door close.

And then I felt five warm fingers on my wrist, urgency and fear in their touch. "I thought you promised you weren't going to lie to me." Shocked, I turned around. Shino stood there, glasses shimmering in the moonlight. Covering my mistake, I smiled again.

"What do you mean? I'm not lying."

"Yes, you are. I can tell."

"What makes you think I am?" I tried my best not to sound irritated or worried he would figure things out.

"First of all, I can see all the scars on your arms. You've told me that most of them come from your brother, but now you tell me you haven't seen your brother for a week, and you haven't been on a mission in a long time. Several of those marks look brand new, less than a week old. Who could've possibly made them, besides you? Second, I know you're not going to be returning. You told me what you said when you left your friend, and therefore you have a certain history of not returning, even if you say you will. You plan on committing suicide." I lost my breath.

"Why do you know so much?"

"You've told me, and I listened. Sen, I love you, and I'm under the impression that you don't understand that."

I yanked myself away from him, turned around, and crossed my arms. "If you loved me, then you would let me do it! You would understand..."

"Understand what?" He sounded confused.

"I've told you this before, Shino. I'm a monster, and I don't do anyone any good. Everyone would be better off if I was dead, and you would benefit from it, too. Don't pretend like you wouldn't be, because I know you would."

"And _I've _told _you. _You are _not _a monster, and you're perfectly fine. Only your enemies would benefit from you being dead, and I certainly wouldn't. Sen, I'm afraid you--"

My heart skipped a beat. "You see? Now you've become like everyone else. You're afraid now, aren't you? I knew it. It was going to happen sooner or later. I can't trust anyone..."

"No, I _said..._I was going to say that I am afraid that you are going to hurt yourself. I don't want you to be alone anymore. You don't belong alone. I want you to look me in the eyes, Sen."

"I'm turned around for a reason. I don't want you to see me cry..."

"I don't care. You still look beautiful, no matter what. Just turn around." I turned around, and kept my eyes to the ground. I heard a small swish of air and I felt Shino's hand on my shoulder. "Look me in the eyes, Sen. I want to see it in your eyes that you understand." Upset, I turned my eyes towards his. He had taken his glasses off. How could I deny those eyes? His eyes, to me, were entrancing and beautiful. I loved the color, the greenish amber they shone. "I love you, and I don't ever want you to forget that. I want you to know that someone loves you, even if you think they don't, and even if the people in your past haven't. I do. And I love you more than I've ever loved anyone else." I looked him straight in the eyes, unable to move. Unable to smile, unable to breathe. Shino sighed. "Why don't you ever smile when you're around me?" I turned my eyes to the ground again, but he gingerly pulled my face level with his, so I could look him in the eyes. He knew I couldn't possibly lie if I look him in the eyes. It was impossible for me.

"Because...because, for some reason, when I'm around you...I get this odd feeling in the pit of my stomach, and it makes it hard for me to breathe. I don't remember to smile, because I'm too busy trying to breath right...I don't know why. I know there's something wrong with me..." I could tell he was smiling. "What?! I'm serious! This is no joke!"

"I know it's not a joke, Sen, and there's nothing wrong with you. That feeling you get...I know what it is, and it's perfectly normal." Shino seemed to know exactly what was going on, and it made me frustrated to know that he knew something I didn't.

"Then what is it?! I certainly don't know, and it feels...weird!" I shouted, thoroughly upset.

"It's love, Sen." I froze, my eyes wide and confused.

"What...what do you mean?"

"I mean that you're in love. I feel exactly the same way around you."

"Then why can't I...Why can't I smile, and why can't I make it stop?"

"You explained it yourself: You can't breathe, so you can't smile."

"But _why? Why _can't I breathe?"

He smirked. "That's just the way love is. It's an indecisive thing, and it will very well tear two people apart as soon as it will put them together." Then, he stopped, and gave me a questioning look. "I've only heard you say those three words once, and you were gasping for breathe, and sobbing. Can you say them now?"

"I..." I began to try to choke the words out of my throat, willing them to come, willing myself to breathe right. "I l...love...love y-you. I love you. I said it!" I smiled.

"Very good." Shino put his glasses back on and kissed me on the forehead before looking me seriously in the eyes. "I don't want you to hurt yourself tonight, or any night, OK? You have someone that loves you, and you don't need to give that up. I _will _be here for you. But you look tired, so go get a good night's rest, and don't stay up training tomorrow night."

"OK, Shino. Thank you..." I whispered, hugging him. "Goodbye. I'll come back _tomorrow. _Be sure of it."

I left him with a smile, so happy, and I totally forgot about the plan of suicide. He was the only thing I knew, and that he loved me.

**Double Spy**

I had a horribly ominous feeling as I walked through Tanzaku Town. It had been a foggy morning, which was a relatively odd thing to happen in Konohagakure. The part of Tanzaku I was in seemed almost empty. Creepy old men in dark cloaks with filthy, pale skin lined the streets, and stood at booths with overpriced goods. This was the bad part of Tanzaku, the part that young Kunoichi should never go to. I suppose my brother didn't think of that when he told me to get this herb. It was a very poisonous herb, and it did many things to the human body. It was a powerful weapon in battle, when turned to a liquid form and smothered on weapons. If ingested, it could shut down the entire body system. First, the nervous system would break down, and immobilize your opponent. Then came the cardiovascular system, and it made the blood clot very quickly, and the heart stop pumping, which would kill your opponent. If the herb was used to injury an opponent, then it would temporarily disable the nervous system and cause the other person to go berserk, unable to control their movements. Eventually, it would then reach the heart through the bloodstream, and cause the heart to cease pumping.

I turned into a dark alley, memorizing the directions that a shady man with a two-headed turtle had told me. It cost me three-thousand ryo just to get him to tell me where I could find it! I feel bad for the turtle he had, though, because it looked like its shell hadn't been in water for who-knows-how-long.

A man with long black hair stood behind an old and rotting wood booth. His eyes were hidden, and seemed to have no intent to show them. No items were on sale on the small booth, because all his customers knew what they came here for.

Eyeing him warily, I whispered, "I understand you have the herb?"

"Ah, yes..." He hissed in an oddly familiar voice. "If you'll just come with me, I've just gotten a brand new stock. Come, come..." He began to walk into the building behind his booth, and signalled for me to follow. Attentively, I followed. As I walked in the door, into the dark room...

The door slammed behind me.

I demanded, "What's going on?"

"What do you _think's_ happening?" Demanded another voice, not the one of the man whom I followed.

"Now, now, Kabuto...There's no such need to be so rude to someone who is such a _loyal _follower..." Came the first man's voice.

Then I recognized it. "Lord Orochimaru!" I shouted. "What do you want from me?!" I tried my best to keep my voice from shaking, but I was failing.

"Listen to you...you still call me 'Lord.' How sweet." A small light flicked on, barely enough to see, but I could see what was going on. Blocking the decrepit door behind me was Kabuto, dressed like one of the scraggly-looking merchants, and I realized that he was the same man who I had to buy the information from, the one with the poor-looking turtle. In front of me stood Lord Orochimaru, dressed in the black cloak, with red clouds on it. He took it off, and was wearing his Sound attire beneath. "Ah, my old Akatsuki cloak...comes in handy sometimes. Pein was so smart when he devised the design of it...no one ever knew who we were. Then again...I suppose you know this already." He smiled. Behind him, in the opposite corner, wafted the smell of blood. There was a dead body back in the corner, dead because no normal human could possibly bleed that much and live.

"What do you...What do you want from me?!" I asked again, both my voice and my body trembling uncontrollably.

Lord Orochimaru took a deep intake of breath, smiling, and said, "I want...only one simple thing."

"And...?" I goaded.

"I've told you time and time again," he said, pacing back and forth, "while you were with us, that I saw such great promise in you, such power. And I have not seen such loyalty or determination in my own sons and daughters. I wish so that I had a daughter so loyal as you, and I have come to a simple conclusion." He looked at me, a kind smile on his lips. How could anyone say he was a horrible, evil person? "Sen, I'm ready to adopt you as my own daughter." I lost my breath, and I stopped trembling.

"Ah...Are...are you...are you _serious_?!" I whispered. Lord Orochimaru nodded.

Turning away, and putting one hand in the air like it didn't matter to him, he said, "That is...if it's what you would like."

"Oh, yes, please, sir! I would love that!" I begged.

"But for me to adopt you...You must carry out one duty for me."

"Anything, sir! Anything!" I tried to keep quiet, so no one would know that it was the famed Orochimaru in Konoha, but my excitement was raising the volume.

I heard him chuckle and take another intake of breath. "I need you...to become a spy on the Akatsuki, on Konohagakure, and on those ruthless daughters of mine, Mailo and Naomi. We wouldn't want them to do anything that might cause the downfall and destruction of Otogakure, now would we...?"

"No, my Lord. That would be horrible!"

He purred, "Smart girl, smart girl...So, Sen, do you accept?"

"Yes, my Lord. I would love to be your daughter, and the Akatsuki...only a few of them have ever been nice to me the two years that I have lived with them..."

"Oh, how sad..." he lamented, "Poor, poor girl. If only I could've helped you sooner. I'm sure you'll be much better off without them anyway. I promise, all of Otogakure will treat you better than the Akatsuki ever could." Lord Orochimaru quickly changed the subject. "As a spy for me, I must ask you to come if something arises that seems suspiscious or puts Otogakure or myself in jeopardy. But, as my daughter, you are welcome to come any time you wish." He smiled again.

"But Lord Orochimaru," I protested, "what am I to do about my brother? I am supposed to tell him what has been going on in Konohagakure each time I see him, and he is supposed to be keeping an eye on you. What if he...what if he finds out?"

Lord Orochimaru chuckled once more, finding my worries amusing. "He'll never find out. I already know that he's been spying on us, or trying to, but that's...heh, that's what we have Genjutsu for. The fool...I understand that the two of you recently got in a small arguement?"

"Yes, sir, but...How did you know?" I asked, confused.

"I...have somehow who is...attempting to be a spy. In fact, understand he's watching us right now. But please, do tell me what this arguement was about. I've heard it was a big one." He looked curious, and leaned against an old table.

"My brother...well...I got these memory-sort of things, and...I asked my brother a bunch of questions, and he told me that everything I thought I knew aout our past was a lie, that our mother and father and brothers and sisters really hated us, that the two of us were exactly alike...and that he wants to be my older brother again, loving and caring, but...I don't know...what to believe..." I looked down at my feet, restraining the tears.

"Tsk, tsk...I remember Zetsu...so easy to anger quickly, so hardheaded, and a merciless fighter. It doesn't surprise me that he's lied to you. I remeber when I was an Akatsuki member, he always talked about 'his younger sister' and how he was going to find her one day. He never actually told us _why _he wanted to find you, but he found you, apparently." Lord Orochimaru shook his head pitifully, looking just as sad as I felt.

"My Lord, uh, who is this...this spy you speak of? I heard Sasuke say that, also..."

Suddenly, Lord Orochimaru chuckled, and looked like he was about to start cracking up laughing. "I'd think you'd have figured it out by now, but, ah well. I don't think he would appreciate it very much if I told who he was, but I can tell you this...He has admitted to me that he was madly in love with you the first day he met you in Otogakure." I stopped, puzzled, but shook my head. "But," Lord Orochimaru said quickly, "we have no time to waste, and Kabuto and I are endangering our very lives just being here. I look forward to seeing you again in Otogakure. Until then, we must bid you adieu..." The two of them disappeared out of a hole in the roof. I walked out of the building, alone, and wondered where I was going to find such an herb that my brother wanted. Then it hit me.

I was now an adopted daughter of Lord Orochimaru.


	28. Instigation of Hate 28

**Yagura**

As I walked through Tanzaku, worrying about Lee kun, I remembered what Ten Ten had told me.

_"I heard that Lady Tsunade told Lee he can't train any more. Poor guy...his spirit must be crushed." She shook her head slowly._

_I gasped. "Lee kun? But...but why? Why did she say he can't train? That's horrible!"_

_Ten Ten shrugged and looked away. "We don't know." Neji watched silently._

_"When did you guys learn this?" I asked._

_"Just this morning," Neji answered._

_"Does Guy sensei know?" _

_Neji and Ten Ten shrugged at the same time. Then, Ten Ten gasped and looked at me, suddenly excited. "Sen! I've got it! You and Lee get along great! Why don't you see if you can't find him and cheer him up? I bet he'll love that!" I smiled._

_"Good idea, Ten Ten. The last thing he needs right is people avoiding him and beating him down. He just needs someone to cheer him up!" I stood. "I'll go and find him."_

_"Good luck," Neji and Ten Ten said in unison._

That was more than three hours ago.

I brushed past people and they pushed past me. As I neared a corner, I heard a familiar voice. As they spoke, I hid by the corner, listening but not looking around the corner.

"Oh, hello, Yagura. What a coincidence to see you here."

Then a voice I'd never heard before. "Lee? What're you doing here? It doesn't matter. I have something to tell you."

"Oh? What is it?"

"You're weak. Guy sensei's not proud of you. You'll never be strong, and you just pull yourself down and look dumb when you try to be a Shinobi without Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. It's useless. Why don't you just give up being a Shinobi?" Nothing came from the other. I peered around the corner, only to catch a glimpse of a boy with dark grey hair walking towards me.

I swung around the corner quickly, hiding myself. Anger and hatred bubbled up inside of me. As the boy came to the corner, I folded my arms and stepped out in front of him, an angry smirk on my lips.

"Um...Can I...help you?" He asked.

"Yeah. What's your name? I'm Sen." I offered my hand out for him to shake, and he did, however hesitantly.

"M-my name is...Yagura...Listen, why are you talking to me?" Yagura seemed appalled that a random stranger came up to talk to him.

"Well, I heard your little talk with Lee kun over there...and I'm not too happy about it." I frowned. He rolled his eyes.

"What're you gonna do about it?" Yagura challenged me.

I sighed and shrugged. "I suppose I should cut this short and sweet, shouldn't I?"

"Huh? What're you ta --" He was caught off by a solid fist to the face.

"_That's _what I'm talking about." I said, arms folded. "This oughta teach you to make fun of other people." I kicked him in the stomach, and he fell to his knees. "Are you done making fun of people yet, Yagura?"

"I wasn't...making fun of him...! It's true! Everything I told him was true!" Yagura shouted, angry. I held his head back, forcing his face toward the sky, and told him I wasn't going to let him leave until he took back everything he had said about Lee kun. I wasn't choking him or anything: It's just an uncomfortable position to be in when your nose is bleeding. And his nose was bleeding.

"Take _everything _back, Yagura, and I'll let you go." By now, people were staring at us, aghast.

"Fine! Fine! I take it back!" He shouted finally, desperate.

I smiled, and let him go. "Good boy. Now run along." He stood up and ran off. People stared at me. "What?!" I shouted. "You've never seen someone fight to protect someone else before?! Quit staring! I'm not a freak-show!" People murmured and mumbled and walked off. Lee kun was the only one staring at me still. I smiled and ran toward him. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Lee kun. I was only protecting you...I didn't like what he said and --"

"It is alright, Sen. I do not mind. I was not happy with what he has said, either. In fact, I believe you have given him what he deserved!" He grinned. I giggled and walked with him for a while.

--

"Hey, Sen..." Mailo's voice came from behind me. I turned around and smiled. I put the scroll down and asked her what it was she needed. She acted very nervous. "Do you...perhaps...know anyone by the name of...Yagura?"

"Uh...yeah...He made fun of one of my friends...and so I taught him a lesson." I frowned, curious.

"Oh! Well...uh...Don't freak out...when I say this, but...Yagura...Yagura is my...my son." My eyes grew wide.

"I thought...I thought he was twelve! He didn't look any younger!"

"Yeah, well...He _is _twelve...I found one of Dad's Jutsu scrolls when I still lived there...and it changes age...so I bumped mine and Kimimaro's ages up...and I had Yagura...Then I changed our ages back to normal..."

My eye twitched, and I stared at Mailo. She grinned innocently. I shook my head and returned to my scroll. Then I suddenly realized something. If Lord Orochimaru had adopted me, and Mailo was a blood daughter, that means that Lord Orochimaru was Yagura's grandfather...and that means that I just beat up my nephew!

_**--Author's Note-- **I must apologize for my random placing of chapters and sequences, but these next few are actually supposed to go before Chapter 18, when Sasuke leaves, and Sen actually met Murasakino before that, too. Ichigo she met when the chapter says._

**De-ja vu**

"Fine, fine! But this is the last time, you hear me?! When you had that Amaya brat over, you know how things ended!" Zetsu said with a grimace.

I smiled feebly. "Yes, Brother. I promise you, Murasakino won't be like Amaya."

"She'd _better _not. Just...keep her out of my face, got it?"

"Thank you, Brother. I will keep her in check." I bowed and began to walk out of the library.

With a sigh, Zetsu stopped me. "Sen?" Curious, I turned.

"Yes, Brother?" I managed a smile.

"Keep Kaara with you at all times. I don't want him burning up my room again." A stern look glowed in his yellow eyes. I nodded and started out the door again. Once the door to the library was closed, I ran into the village, ignoring all the Shinobi that walked around me. I tripped, and realized that Kaarayomihi had gotten in my way.

I pulled myself up and looked at him. He moaned and rubbed his head. Styx hissed at me. "Kaara!" I shouted, grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet. "Come with me!"

"What now...?" He mumbled.

"I have to find Murasakino!"

"Why do y--" I cut him off as I began to run again. Trust me, he seemed devastated: I didn't have the weights on my ankles.

--

"Murasakino!" I shouted as we neared her. Her hair looked purple in the mid-day sun. She turned and smiled.

"Hi, Sen. And...uh...Kaara, right?" She looked uncertain.

Kaara dusted himself off and tried to regain his breath from being windblown. "That's Kaara _sama, _to you." He corrected. I elbowed him in the stomach and hissed his name scornfully. "What?!" He hissed back. I glared at him before returning a kind look to Murasakino.

"So, what're you guys in such a rush for?" She asked with her hands on her hips, a curious look in her purple eyes.

"My brother said yes." I said simply. A smile spread across her lips.

"Today?"

"Today."

"Yes!" She grinned.

"Hey," Kaara said, "what'd I miss here? Are you guys setting up a date for Murasakino and Zetsu sama?"

"No, you idiot!" Murasakino shouted, whacking Kaara upside the head. I giggled.

"He's gonna find out anyway," I said calmly. "Niisan said that he has to stay with us the whole time."

"Why?" Murasakino moaned.

"He doesn't want Kaara burning up his bedroom again."

"I did _not _do that on purpose!" Kaara protested. "Much..." he mumbled under his breath. We ignored him.

"Yeah, figures. So, are you ready to go?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

"Uh...Sen?" Murasakino said, uncertain.

"What is it?"

"Don't run."

I grinned. "OK." Kaara rolled his eyes.

"I can beat you in a race any day, Sen." He boasted. I looked at him.

"Wanna _bet?_" I threatened him. He suddenly became very quiet.

"No..."

I beamed happily, "I thought so."

--

"Well," I said, "welcome to the Akatsuki lair. You've sworn on your life that you won't tell anyone anything about it -- or us. And we'll hold you to it."

"Sen doesn't have the guts," Kaara pouted, his arms folded. "She couldn't kill someone if her life depended on it." I glared at him. "What?!" He shouted, unfolding his arms. "It's true!" I yanked off my gloves on both arms and held them out to him, exposing the angry red wounds Amaya had inflicted. They never healed. I thought about her name over and over again, until the blood began to seep out. Kaara looked appalled, and all the color drained from his face. "I take it back," he whispered.

I wrapped my arms back up and looked toward Murasakino with a smile. The blood dripping from my arms didn't seem to faze her. She smiled back, the bright red not even slightly attracting her eyes.

"Kaara oniisan," I feigned innocence and smiled pleasantly, "I need your help."

He scoffed. "Oh, lookie here. The great Senari needs her brother's help. You know what? No. I'm not gonna help you this time." He folded his arms again and turned his back to me.

I pleaded childishly, "Please, Kaara oniisan?"

"No."

I froze. "Kaara," I said sternly. His arms dropped. "You _know _that this door uses too much Chakra for _one _person. We are _Mission Partners. _You _have _to _help me._" I could see that Murasakino was trying her best not to giggle. I gave her a sly smile, to let her know that this was _too _easy to scare him.

Kaarayomihi turned to me, all color drained from his face once more, and he looked thoroughly perturbed. "F-fine. I'll help. I s-suppose I h-have to, r-right? A-after all...we...we _are _Mission Partners." I smiled warmly at him, and he shivered.

We both pressed our hands against the cold stone door and fed our Chakra into it. The door slid open with a screeching rumble. I hoped that we didn't disturb Hidan or wake up Itachi.

The inside was as dark and dim as always, and for once, Murasakino looked frightened. I smiled at her, hoping to make sure she felt sure that no one would hurt her, even if I wasn't. No screams ensued from the Demon Extraction Room, so Kaara and I hadn't missed any excitement, and the smell of fresh blood was extinct from the Torture Room, so no one had been captured. I peeked in the Torture Room, just to see if there were any cadavers that were relatively fresh. My stomach rumbled, and I knew I would have to get something to eat soon. I thought of asking my brother if there'd been any recent bodies that needed to 'disappear.' He couldn't eat them all on his own, you know! He may be a cannibal, but he doesn't have a bottomless stomach.

The door came to a screeching halt behind us and the only light we had came from an orange fire that Kaara held in the palm of his hand. I envied the fact that he could hold fire like a kitten, when it really was a hungry lion. I opened the next door on my own, and Kaara extinguished his fire. A larger fire came from the fireplace in the area that served as a living room. The kitchen looked empty from where we were, and no one came from the hallways. Instead, Leader, Konan, Kakuzu, and Kisame sat in front of the fire.

Upon hearing the door open, Kisame turned. He smiled when he saw me and stood up. "Hey, Sen. Who's your friend? Besides Kaara, that is."

"Hey!" Kaara said, irritated. Kisame chuckled.

I hugged him. "Hello, otokooya--" (I often referred to him as otokooya or otosan -- meaning father -- because he had become a sort of father figure to me, but since Lord Orochimaru had adopted me, I didn't want the Akatsuki to have even an inkling about Lord Orochimaru, so to keep saying otokooya and otosan only made sense to me.) "--it's good to see you again. This is my friend Murasakino. Niisan actually said she could come." Kisame looked at me questioningly.

"So Zetsu finally let up about the friend rule?"

"Eh...sort of."

"What brought that about?" None of the Akatsuki had been informed about my brother telling me all the things that he had after I remembered those few moments from when I was little.

"I don't know." I shrugged. I glanced over at the others, still keeping my brother's old rules in mind. Kisame took the hint.

"Hey, Konan, Leader, Kakuzu. I think Sen wants to talk to you."

The others all turned around. I waved at them. "Yes, Sen?" Leader said calmly.

"Um, I'd like to introduce you to my friend Murasakino. Murasakino, this is...uh..._Leader, _Konan, and Kakuzu." Murasakino smiled and waved. Then, I went through and introduced Murasakino to all of the Akatsuki except Zetsu, Kaara following boredly, with his arms crossed.

I searched frantically. Murasakino struggled to keep up with me while Kaara walked at his own pace, yelling if I got too far ahead. I dropped to the floor finally and moaned, shaking my head back and forth.

"Sen, what's wrong?" Murasakino asked when she finally caught up with me. Kaarayomihi trailed behind her lazily.

"I can't find him..." I moaned.

"Can't find who? Kaara? He's right there."

"No, not Kaara..."

"Sen?" I looked up. "What're you doing on the ground?"

"Him!" I shouted, pointing and scrambling to my feet. "That's who I'm looking for!"

"Are you OK?" He asked.

I grinned. "Murasakino, meet Itachi. Itachi, meet Murasakino." Murasakino looked up to Itachi, who wasn't much taller than she was, and looked at his eyes. They stood there, staring at each other, frozen. I didn't understand. Itachi wasn't using his Sharingan, so why were the two of them so still? "Um...guys?" They ignored me.

Kaara came stamping towards us. "What are you--" Then he started snickering. I turned to him, a questioning look on my face. He grinned.

"Itachi san? Murasakino san? Are you guys OK?" I asked, looking over Murasakino's shoulder.

Murasakino shook her head and smiled. "Yeah. Hello, Itachi." Itachi nodded and walked away.

I looked at her oddly. "What was that all about?"

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head.

"Sure..." Kaara said, grinning. I whacked him upside the head, and I heard Murasakino giggling.

**Almost**

"Sen, I think someone's following us." Kisame murmured. I turned and peered into the shadows of the leaves. White hair doesn't blend in with the leaves very well. From beneath my Akatsuki hat, I glared at the figure.

"I've got it," I whispered, leaving Kisame alone. I used the Body Shimmer Technique and appeared near the white-haired figure. He gasped.

"Uchiha Itachi?" He asked quietly. Master Jiraiya was such a fool.

I said quietly, "You wish it was. Itachi would have more mercy towards someone like you..." I lunged at him with my kunai. I aimed for the heart, but he jumped, and I landed a mark to his ankle. I watched as he disappeared, returning to Konohagakure.

When I appeared by his side again, Kisame asked, "Did you rid us of our nuisance?" I nodded. "Good," he said, and sped up his pace. Everyone was quiet when we returned to the Akatsuki lair.

--

"Alright, children, we've lost Tsunade. Again."

"Again?!" Naruto and I shouted in unison.

"Yes, again." Master Jiraiya sighed as he paced back and forth.

"So...where do we think she is?" I asked.

"Somewhere in Tanzaku, no doubt." I rested my hand on the top of my kunai knife, boredom sinking in. "Probably gambling all her money away. Our job is to--" he froze as he stared at my hand. The hand that my Akatsuki ring was on. He grabbed Naruto's arm and yanked him away from me. "Stay away from her, Naruto!"

"What...? Pervy Sage, what're you doing?" Naruto asked, confused.

Master Jiraiya looked frightened, but angry at the same time. He turned to Naruto. As he sopke I put hands behind my back innocently, knowing what was happening. "She's an Akatsuki member, Naruto! She's wearing an Akatsuki ring!" Then, he turned to me. "Why are you in Konoha?"

"Because I wanted to become Chunin." I answered simply, feigning a look of confusion.

"Don't play dumb with me!" He spat. "I know you're an Akatsuki member."

"What's the...Akatsuki?" I asked.

He glared at me. Naruto said, "Pervy Sage, I think she really doesn't know what they are."

They both looked at the expression on my face, albeit feigned. Master Jiraiya stood up straight and the look on his face softened. "You're right, Naruto. She does look confused." And the day continued. My heart was beating incredibly fast. But I had fooled them. However...

Not for long.

**Why They Stared**

"It looks just the same...as when I left it."

"Well, well, Itachi...it sounds as though you still have some love for your old village...You don't miss it, do you?" Kisame grinned tauntingly.

"Of course not." Itachi remained stoic. "Sen?" I looked up at him. He glared down at me. "Don't show your face. Eyes specifically."

I nodded. "Yes, Itachi san."

"And _don't you dare _let your emotions get the better of you. We may very well have to..._immobilize..._this boy. I understand that you've grown attatched, but from what you say, he may need to be restrained. The Nine-Tailed Fox is one of the strongest demons, and as a Jinchuuriki, he could be dangerous." I looked down solemnly. I knew what had to be done, but I didn't _want_ it to be done.

"Enough with the song, Itachi," Kisame said, looking down at the village, "I want tea."

"Tea?!" I whisper-hissed. "Are you crazy? We're supposed to be on a mission!"

He grinned. "I know. But I'm thirsty. Besides, we can blend in. It's not hard with _these _commoners."

"OK..." I said, still wary. We pulled our hats over our faces and buttoned our cloaks up all the way. Well...Kisame had to chastise Itachi into buttoning his up all the way. The entire time, I felt as though we were being watched. I noticed two figures trailing behind us. I discretely caught Kisame's attention and subtly pointed out the two figures. He nodded and alerted Itachi.

"Hey," Asuma sensei's voice finally came, "who're you?" We all turned, hiding our faces.

"Does it concern you?" Itachi said calmly.

"I think it does," Asuma sensei said, Kurenai sensei landing beside him, hand on her hip as always. "So who are you three?"

"Kodomo," Itachi said, using my 'undercover name,' as Kaara called it, "shall we tell them?"

"It is up to you, Master," I said, sweetly and quietly.

He looked to Kisame. "What do you think?"

"We may as well...we will be world-reknown soon enough." I could tell Kisame was grinning, ready for a battle. He was always so bloodthirsty. I wanted so badly to run from them, but Shinobi don't give up.

"Very well...I am," Itachi removed his hat. The two Jounin gasped.

"Uchiha Itachi...!" They whispered in unison.

"You won't know me as well as you know him," Kisame said, removing his hat, too, "but I am Hoshigaki Kisame of the Village Hidden in The Mist."

I could see Asuma sensei trying his best to keep his cool in the presence of three Akatsuki members. "A-and her? Who is she?"

"She can speak for herself," Kisame hissed.

I didn't look up, didn't dare move my hat. "I am Koishii Kodomo of the infamous Koishii clan of the Village Hidden in The Sound," I lied.

"Are you here for Naruto?" Kurenai sensei whispered.

The other two said nothing, so I took it upon myself to answer. "You're smart, lady. Good job." She gritted her teeth.

"Disrespected by a child..." She clenched her fists and went to take a step towards me. Asuma sensei stopped her.

"Kurenai, don't. She may be only a child, but she's still an Akatsuki member."

"You're right..." She relaxed.

I felt evil then, I felt like I wanted to make someone mad. "You've got about as bad a temper as your precious sister, don't you, lady?" I saw her gasp.

"How did you know about Amaya?" Kurenai sensei's eyes began to wiggle and squirm as tears pooled.

I put one arm in the air carelessly, in a half-shrug, and let a sickly sweet tone devour my voice. "How can you _not _hear names, voices, conversations...when they're being screamed in dying breaths?"

"You...You're the one who killed her, aren't you?!" She challenged.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't."

"Why you little...!" She ran at me, kunai drawn. In a flash, Kisame was there, Samehada drawn and holding it against Kurenai sensei's kunai.

"I...wouldn't do that...if I were you...." He taunted. "You won't make it out alive."

"We're not letting you into our village!" Asuma sensei threatened. "And we're not leaving without a fight!"

"A little tempermental, are we?" Kisame said, turning his gaze to Asuma sensei. I think he jumped a little. "Kodomo, take care of the woman. Itachi, you do whatever."

I nodded and started at Kurenai sensei. I fought quickly, with an aim to kill. Emotions escaped me now, as I had never really felt anything for the teacher who wasn't even attatched to her own students. Nor the woman whose sister I had murdered. She tried to use several Genjutsu on me. None of which worked, because I managed to sink my kunai into her flesh enough to distract her from her Jutsu. _One more heavy blow, _I told myself, _then Itachi can take over the battle...One more--_

"What?!" I screeched high-pitched enough to catch Asuma sensei's attention from his battle. I was immobilized. Kurenai sensei was on the ground several feet in front of me, panting and bleeding. Asuma sensei and Kisame were locked in battle. Itachi stared at me, seemingly confused. But yet I couldn't move. My arms were crossed tightly behind my back and I could feel the body heat of someone behind me. I kicked and screamed at whoever it was, but I was only responded to by a calm, collected voice.

"What did I miss here?" I froze. No, no, not him! Anything but him! Not good timing! Not at all!

Kurenai sensei panted, "Kakashi...you're late...as always." I craned my head back to see the lazy sensei in his mask and orange book.

"Yeah, well..." he rubbed the back of his head nervously and smiled. "A weasel crossed my path, and bad luck is never appreciated, so I tried to work it off with some good luck." He sighed. "So who've we got here?" Closing his book and putting it in his pocket as he always did, he looked me in the face, gasped, and loosened his grip a little. Just enough for me to wiggle away.

"Dark Style Technique: Haze!" I shouted quietly. A thin black smoke surrounded Kurenai and Kakashi sensei. I heard them coughing as I rushed to Itachi's side.

"It can't be..." I heard Kakashi sensei say after the smoke cleared. "You've betrayed your village?"

"What do you mean?" I said sweetly, not in the voice Kakashi sensei usually heard me use. "Of course I betrayed the Sound."

"The Sound?! You're from the Grass! Sen, what've you done?" Kakashi shouted.

"You must have me mistaken for someone else, someone weaker. Just the _name _sounds weak," I giggled evilly.

"Enough, Kakashi. Let's get this over with," Itachi said.

"Be careful, Master," I said, "You know those eyes of yours..."

"I understand, Kodomo. I will be cautious." Itachi and Kakashi sensei then engaged themselves in battle.

I stood alone, trying to regain control over my Chakra, rebuilding it. Kurenai sensei had involved herself in Kakashi sensei and Itachi's battle. "What's this?!" I heard another familiar voice. This one..._too _familiar. "Who are you? And what's Kakashi doing? And--" he gasped "--is that Itachi Uchiha?!"

"Who're you and maybe I'll tell you who I am." I hissed.

He pointed to himself proudly. "I am Might Guy, Konoha's Prideful Beast!" My eye twitched. I'd never heard Guy sensei say _that _before. My, did Guy sensei and Lee kun come up with the weirdest aliases for themselves!

"Koishii Kodomo, traitor to the Hidden Sound. The Rat. How...unpleasant...to meet you. My, do you look _stupid._" I said fakely, looking him up and down with fake irritation. I would _never _say something like that to Guy sensei or Lee kun under normal terms. But this was _not _considered normal.

"You're an Akatsuki member...You don't belong in this Village! You're here for Naruto, aren't you?" His eyes narrowed.

I smiled. "Wow. Konoha has pretty smart Shinobi that dress pretty stupidly."

"You'll never get him."

"Who says?"

"I do. No one can escape my high-speed Taijutsu!" Guy sensei ran at me. I suppose he expected that I wouldn't be able to defend myself, but he was in for a surefire surprise.

I blocked very easily and attatcked just as quickly. I could see the shock in his face, but he quickly smiled. "Aha! Now _that's _what I'm talking about! If only I could get the other half of my students to fight like this! Sen and Lee would be enthralled to fight Neji and Ten Ten!"

_Yeah, we would. Training would be more interesting then..._But I shook off the thought. I was not Sen now. I was Kodomo. "What a shame..." I said, shrugging, and blocking an attack.

"You know," he said, "your fighting style reminds me of one of my students. She's very fast. Her name is Sen."

"What's with everyone in this stupid village comparing me to this weak Sen girl?!" I landed a sharp blow to his face and restrained myself from wincing at the thought of hurting my sensei like that. He fell backwards, and I lost it a little. I know some people would say, 'Sen, you'll never get anything accomplished in training if you can't hurt your sensei,' but it's just the factor of I didn't _need _to hurt him now. There was no _point _in it.

Yes, there was a point, I told myself, it was getting Naruto and getting out. Alive.

"Hey," I heard a voice, "Who're you?" I watched Kisame draw his sword, and he held it at arm's length. We had moved to the area near the water, where the others were fighting.

"I am Might Guy of the Hidden Leaf!" He declared proudly.

"More like mighty stupid looking guy, huh, Itachi?" Kisame taunted.

"Yes..." He said sullenly.

The rest of the battle ensued as it was, but I wasn't paying attention. It looked like the two men had things under control, so I went ahead. I knew the village well enough, and I knew the information, too. He, Master Jiraiya, and Murasakino would all be staying in a hotel. Unfortunately, we couldn't give names away. I went around, asking for a blonde haired boy and a white haired old man. No one seemed to be housing a blonde haired boy and a white haired man, _with _a black haired girl.

"Do you happen to know where a black haired girl, a blonde haired boy, and a white haired old man are staying?"

The girl smiled at me. "I'm afraid they're not staying here. But I would try that place over there, right down the street. A saw a man with white and a scroll on his back walking in there with a blonde haired boy dressed in orange and a black haired girl."

I nodded, keeping my hat down and my voice low. "That would be them. Thank you."

I walked out of the building. I jumped to the roof and began running, and Itachi and Kisame appeared by my side. "Did you get the info?" Kisame asked. I nodded. "Where?"

"Right down here," I said as I leaped off the building roof, to the front of a hotel. The two men followed me. I walked in, acting authorizied, like I owned the building. I pushed my way right up to the front desk. "What room are a blonde boy, a white haired man, and a black haired girl staying?"

"Room two-o-two," the man at the counter answered.

"Thank you," I said, and Itachi and Kisame once more followed.

As we neared room two-hundred and two, I stopped. "Itachi, did you--"

"Yes. Jiraiya should be gone." Itachi answered simply.

"Good." I saw the door and looked toward Itachi. "Would you like to do the honors?"

He marched slowly to the door. Still slowly, he raised his foot, and -- Boom. The door swung open. He lowered his foot. For not being very good at close-range Taijutsu, there was something about Itachi kicking door down that made me laugh. But I restrained it this time.

I stepped into the room, glaring at the two of them from beneath my hat. A book dropped from Murasakino's hand. Naruto had been eating ramen, and he dropped his chopsticks right into his bowl. He stood up and pointed to the three of us.

"Who do you think you are, barging in here like that?! We paid for this room, you know! We have the right to stay here!"

I purred, "That's not what we're here for...Naruto."

He froze. "Wait...I-I know that voice..."

Murasakino looked at me pleadingly, shaking her head. I looked at her sadly and nodded. I could see the fear in her purple eyes. She knew it was me, but Naruto didn't.

"We're here for you, Naruto," I said sadly.

"You may as well tell him who you are," Kisame said, chuckling. "After all, this is the last time he'll see you."

"Yes, sir..." I said quietly. Slowly, I reached up, and pulled my Akatsuki hat over and behind my head, holding it down at my side.

I saw Naruto's eyes quivering in fear. He backed up slowly, clumsily running into the side of the bed and tripping. "No...I won't let you take me!"

"I'm afraid you have to, Naruto san..."

"Sen," Itachi said firmly, "what did I tell you?"

"I know, Itachi san...but it's hard not to--" I cut myself off, and wiped tears from my eyes.

"I have an idea," Kisame hissed. "Why don't we just cut his legs off? The little fox won't be able to run away then."

"Otokooya," I said, "no. Let's not, please."

"Emotionally attatched, eh? Don't you remember what happened the last few times you've gotten emotionally attatched to someone?" Kisame returned.

"Yes..." I said somberly.

"Sen..." Naruto said. "You can't let them do this."

"I...I have to. I _am..._one of them. I _have _to let them do this. I have to _help them _do this."

"But...but...you're an...Akatsuki member...Pervy Sage was right...And you _lied _to us." He looked on the verge of tears himself.

"Sen," Kisame instructed, "Tie him up."

"Yes, sir..." I walked over to Naruto, holding a rope in one hand. He stood completely still as I began to tie it around him. As Kisame and Itachi debated over what to do with Murasakino, I whispered in Naruto's ear, "I'll save you from this. I won't let them hurt you, or take Kyuubi. I promise." That seemed to ease his troubles. Then I added, "Just don't tell anyone about my being an Akatsuki member, OK?" He nodded subtly.

"Uchiha Itachi," came a familiar voice. We all stopped and turned to see someone standing there. "It's been a long time."

"Hasn't it, Sasuke?"

"I'm going to avenge their deaths! I swear it!"

"Itachi," Kisame taunted, "do you _know _this boy?"

"This is Sasuke, my little brother." Itachi seemed so calm, even as Sasuke scraped the wall of the hotel with his Chidori. It squealed and crackled and screeched as it dug a deep black hole in the side of the hotel wall. I had only seen the Chidori in progress once before, and that was during the Chunin Exams.

I closed my eyes and covered my ears, wishing desperately Shino was there. He was my reprieve since Leri was gone. Since I could no longer see him. The sound stopped abrubtly and in its stead came the frightened gasp of Sasuke. Itachi had a hold of his wrist, the Chidori gone. The two brothers conversed, and Itachi kicked Sasuke in the stomach, sending him to the wall. He walked over to his brother, held him by the neck, and told him something simply.

"You couldn't kill me." He leaned closer, and whispered in Sasuke's ear, "You don't have enough hate." I watched in horror as Murasakino scrambled to her feet, and took off running toward Itachi.

She shouted, "Itachi, don't!" She wrapped her arms around him, and I could tell she was crying.

"Murasakino," he murmured, turning to face her, "Let me go."

"I won't!" She cried. Looking up, their lips met, and realized what I was witnessing. I never thought I'd actually see someone fall in love!

"So...Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi, eh? And lookie here, a new Akatsuki member." I quickly put my hat back on before he saw my face. Master Jiraiya had appeared, a woman in a purple dress slung over his shoulder. He laid her down on the ground, and I realized that she was passed out. Then I recognized her: it was the woman that Itachi had used to distract Master Jiraiya so the three of us could get to Naruto. "Oh, wait. It's _you, _isn't it?"

I hissed, "How's your ankle doing, old man?"

"Pretty good, actually," he said, stretching. "So listen, why don't you guys all leave and I won't have to kick your butts?"

"Itachi," Kisame whispered, "we don't want to fight him."

"I know...but this may be the only thing we can do. We have to..."

"So you three are challenging me?" Master Jiraiya said, folding his arms and giving us all an authoritive look.

"Sen," Itachi commanded. Master Jiraiya jumped at hearing my name. I knew what to do. I ran in front of the two men, did the right hand signs, and blew as hard as I could. Something raced up my throat, crawling, tickling and burning until it finally burst out in the form of a giant ball of flames. The ball was so large, it burned through the walls of the hotel, making a big hole on either side of us.

And yet, as the flames subsided and the smoke cleared, Master Jiraiya stood there, unharmed. I gaped. "I knew it was you, Sen," he said. "I'm relatively disappointed in you. I'd like to see the three of you escape from this...Toad Mouth Trap!" The walls around us turned into the soft, inside flesh of a toad's mouth. Behind us lay the toad's throat. The walls began to almost devour Kisame and Samehada. I alerted the other two of the incoming flames. Itachi burst a hole through the wall, and we escaped.

**Poison**

"Senari!"

"I'm sorry!"

"You cut me too deep!"

"I'm sorry!" I cried again.

"You're damn lucky that you're my beloved imoto!" The words that Kaede spoke would have been humorous had it not been such a drastic situation. She clutched her bleeding hand, and licked her lips. "Your blood tastes...different."

"At least you haven't tasted Niisan's," I said, sighing.

"What's it taste like?"

"Earth," I said. She started snickering. She put her hand in mine, and I let the blood run over my hands. It didn't look as bright red as mine, but it was still a shade of dark red.

After I had enough on my fingers, I went to put it to my lips to taste it. She stopped me. "Be careful," she warned. "My blood is relatively poisonous. I know you're not subject to a lot of human disease, but...just be careful, ok?"

I nodded. The second I put the dark red liquid in my mouth, I gagged. I started coughing and grabbed my throat.

"Sen, are you ok?!" Kaede asked, reaching out to me.

"Rela...tively...poisonous?!" I asked her, choking.

"I'm sorry! Damn it! Sasori!" She called. Sasori came running at the urgent sound in her voice.

"What?" He asked.

"She's choking!"

"On what?!"

"My blood!"

"What?!"

"She's choking on my blood!"

"Why?!"

"Because she drank it, idiot!"

"Why did she...Aw, forget it!"

"Fix it!"

"How?!"

"I don't know! Just fix it!"

"Fine, fine..." Sasori made me drink a lot of water, but I got sick. I don't know exactly how long I was sick for, but all I know is that I wasn't allowed to train. At one point in time, they thought I was going to die, but I eventually recovered.

**The No-Wake-Itachi-Rule Is Broken!**

"Sen!" I heard someone calling my name. Forsaking Murasakino and Kaara, I ran, the two of them following me. Leader was still in the living room.

"Yes, Leader?"

"I need you to do me a favor. I know it's hazardous, but I need the three of you to wake Itachi up." Kaara and I stared at him wide-eyed. I heard Sensei snickering. We _all _knew what happened the last time someone woke up Itachi...

_"Sensei? What's that noise?" _

_"I dunno, un. Sounds like thunder, don't it?" _

_A few minutes later..._

_"Kaarayomihi Netzu! You're dead!"_

_Kaara came running in the room, eyes wide, no color to his face. "What'd I do?! What'd I do?!"_

_My eyes grew wide and Sensei smirked. "You woke up Itachi, Kaara. I suggest you run for your life. He'll kill you." And Kaara ran._

"He's supposed to be starting a mission, but he's sleeping instead. Won't you three wake him up for me?" Leader asked. Kaara and I looked warily at each other. Finally, we accepted. As we walked slowly to Itachi's room -- fearing the worst -- Murasakino decided to inquire.

"What's so wrong about waking up Itachi?" She said, walked slowly, too.

"Itachi's...murderous when you wake him up. He hates being woken up." I answered.

"You do _not _want to wake him up!" Kaara added.

Finally, we came to Itachi's room. Hesitantly, my hand shaking, I pressed open the door. Itachi was on his bed, sound asleep. I crept in, Kaara behind me, and Murasakino at the very end. I looked toward Kaara, scared, and he returned my frightened gaze.

Not knowing the don't-wake-Itachi-rule, Murasakino barged right in, and flicked on every light in the room. Kaara and I backed toward the door, ready to make a break for it. Itachi sat up and moaned.

He demanded, "Who...the..._hell..._just woke me...up?! I'm going to kill them...!"

"Oh yeah?!" Murasakino challenged. "I'd like to see you _try._"

She walked over to him, leaned over him, and kissed him. While doing so, her hand slowly moved towards one of the pillows beside him. Suddenly, she pulled away and slammed the pillow over his head. At this point, Kaara and I _ran. _Murasakino came out of the room running, too, but only to catch up with us.

"What'd you do _that _for?!" Kaara said. "You could've just gotten us all killed!"

"He won't hurt me," she said.

"He could hurt _us," _I said quietly.

Leader praised us for a our quick work at waking Itachi up.


	29. Instigation of Hate 29

**No One's Night**

I don't even know what the dance was for, but a bunch of the Genin and Chunin were there, along with a few Jounin to supervise and some non-Shinobi people. The building was very tall, the same party going on on each floor. I tried in vain to find Shino, but I just couldn't seem to find him. He told me he was going to be coming, but I suppose things pop up, with his father being the leader of the Aburame clan and all.

Everyone was having a great time. I got an ominous feeling, though, so I went up to the top floor, to the balcony. The balcony was at such an angle that not many people could see out, not unless you were positioned at a certain way. In my white dress, it wasn't that hard to notice me, but no one seemed to. I mean, Guy sensei waved when he saw me, but nothing more.

When I went out on the balcony, I saw a girl with dark red hair in a black dress, sitting on the railing. At first I thought Naomi, then I thought Ichigo. But this girl...She just didn't look like either of them.

"What do you want now?!" She hissed quietly. I could tell she'd been crying. "Didn't I tell you to--" When she turned around, she saw me, my straggly hair splayed out in front of my eyes. She gave me a small glare and turned away. "What do you want from me? Can't you see I wanna be left alone?"

A half smile pulled at my lips. "What's your name?"

"Why should _you _care? Why should _anyone_ care?" The girl sniffed back tears, and I could see her wiping her eyes.

"Why should a plant care so deeply to reach the sun when there's not light in the forest?"

The girl looked confused. "Because the plant needs the sunlight to live."

"And if there is no sunlight?"

"Then the plant will die." She froze. "You don't know me that well."

"My name is Sen," I offered. With a smile, I said, "Of course I don't you that well. I know your _expression. _I know the fear that you have in your heart."

"How?"

My voice lowered. "I've been there before: To the bottom of Hell and back...I know what it's like. It sucks, don't it?"

The girl nodded, then caught herself. "What do you want?"

"To help."

"I don't _need _your help! I don't need anyone's help!" She hissed between clenched teeth.

"What about when you're holding on with dear life to that railing right there and hoping that you won't lose your grip? What're you gonna think then? Or what about when you hear the crash of your own bones against the ground? What's gonna be going through your mind? Are you gonna be wishing you didn't do that?" I challenged her.

"I don't care what I'm thinking," she returns after a while, "I just want the pain to be gone."

"And all of it's gonna be gone once you feel the impact of the ground, right? Boom, and all the pain's gone. Is that how it works? Man, if that's how it works, I woulda done it a long time ago." I sighed. "But it just don't work out that way. It's gonna keep right on hurting, until you learn to ignore it. Life never feels good, not unless you're living the cushy life, and I can tell that you aren't."

She remained silent. "My name is Kyuuen."

"Well, Kyuuen. What makes you think that's the right thing to do? What made you wanna do it? A boyfriend break up with you? Parents hit you? Someone close die?" My eyes narrowed. I couldn't blame her for thinking this way: I'd done the same not so long ago, and I wasn't one hundred percent sure that I had rid myself of the feeling completely.

"A few things," she admitted.

"Like what?" I goaded her.

"Well...I found my boyfriend kissing another girl today...and my parents _do _hit me. My grandma died last week in a tragic house fire."

"I see..."

"What made you feel like that, Sen? You said you'd felt the same...What was your cause?" Kyuuen looked curious, but the tears still shone in her eyes. I stood beside her, looking at the sparkling stars in the sky.

"I'm a Ninja, you see. And...one of my friends, she was very traitorous. My..._village_," I hesitated on the word, "was in the middle of a _war_. And my friend actually went to our _enemy _and told them our location. My village sent me to kill her...I did, and I was devastated afterwards. I still haven't gotten over it completely."

"Whoa..." Kyuuen said quietly. "That takes guts to be able to stay alive like that."

"I attempted suicide twice. The first time, my other friend was smart enough to cut off my Chakra reserves and take my weapons. The second time, my boyfriend found out before things got very far." I sighed and looked at her. "But I'm not here to mourn my own affairs. I'm here to help _you._"

"Why do you want to help me so badly?"

"Because I don't want anyone feeling the same as I did. Listen, Kyuuen, tonight's just not your night to die." I gave her a sincere look, hoping for her to believe me.

"Then who's night is it?"

"No one's. No one will die tonight, not at this party, not in this village."

She was quiet for a moment, until I heard a faint sniffing noise. "Thank you," she said quietly, "You have no idea how much I owe you."

"You don't owe me anything."

Standing up, she smiled. "I'm gonna go see if I can't get revenge on my boyfriend. I hope we meet again some time. Have a nice night, Sen."

"You, too," I smiled. Kyuuen went back into the building and left me out on the balcony alone. I sat on the edge of the railing for a while, letting the cold soak into my skin. I heard the calling of birds, and suddenly saw three young birds flying. My heart pounded and my eyes grew wide.

Birds.

Not the birds.

Not the baby birds in the nest.

They wanted to know I was evil. So they made me do an evil deed. The Sound Five, they had made me knock a nest of baby birds off the branch they were perched on, into the water below. The memory still haunted me today, the sound of the baby birds crying, the ache of my heart as Sakon held me back from running to their rescue, the look of three dead birds as they lay still in the water.

I pushed the memory out, pushed against it with all my might. But it pushed me. Right off the edge. The only thing I could muster was a quiet gasp. No scream. I felt myself tumbling, falling, felt the wind rushing past my ears and saw the lights flashing past my eyes. The world around me turned black and slow. I could imagine a pair of invisble hands, pushing me gently to my feet. There would be Amaya and Leri. The dead. Everyone who was dead. I could see them again. But I'd miss several others. It didn't matter now. I was dead. I had to be. The only thought that went through my mind was, _Shino, where are you?_

I didn't fully register what had happened until I felt the pain surging through my back and heard the frantic voices of the couple below. No -- they weren't below me anymore. They were taller than me. The woman with dark blue hair held my hand. "Dear, come on, dear, wake up. Now's not the time to be sleeping!"

"I'm not s-sleeping..." I moaned.

"Oh, thank goodness," the man said, "she's alive."

The woman said a name, obviously addressing the man, and she told him, "Quickly, get Lady Hokage, before we lose her!" He nodded and took off in the direction of the Leaf Hospital. My vision swam and swayed, making it hard to really make out a whole lot of shapes and colors. She started talking to me. "What's your name?"

"Sen..."

"Are you a Ninja, Sen?"

"Yes..." I cringed as the all-too-familiar sensation of pain thrummed through my veins.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Yes..." Despite my delirium, I knew what she was doing. She was trying to keep my attention so I didn't slip into sleep. If I fell asleep, I may never wake up. Pain thrummed a steady beat in my back, and I didn't know what kind of bones I had broken from the fall. Each time my vision would begin to clear, I would find myself looking up at the balcony I had fallen from. Just looking at it, my vision began to sway again. The height was incredible, and it was a paradox that I had survived it.

"What's his name?" Name...name...name...what was his name...? I was lucky to remember my own name in this delirious state! "Sen?"

"Huh...?"

"What's your boyfriend's name, dear?"

"Oh! Oh...Shino...Shino Aburame..."

"An Aburame, huh? Sounds strong!" She giggled.

"He's the...the heir to the c-clan itself...His f-father is the...the l-leader of the c-clan..." And that's when everyone began filing out of the building. They swarmed around me, and I recognized several voices. Naruto, Kiba, Shikamaru...But the most important voice was almost impossible to hear.

Until he got to my side. He kneeled beside me, and I could feel his hand on mine. "Sen?" He said. "C'mon, babe, are you OK?" I could see something sparkling beneath his glasses. The sparkle of tears. No doubt Shino had been devastated by hearing I had fallen out of a tall building.

I tried to nod, but I cringed in pain. Instead, I settled for a smile. I could hear him sighing his relief. "Who are you," the woman asked, "and what right do you have to be here?"

"I'm her boyfriend," he answered. "Shouldn't that be reason enough?"

"Sh-Shino..." I murmured, vaguely aware I was even speaking.

"Shhh," He said. I tried to sit up. "No, no, don't do that." Gingerly, he pushed me back down again.

"N-no...I-I'm OK."

"No, you're not. Sen, you just fell...from the balcony..."

Then there was a smudge of dark red in my field of vision. A first, I thought my eyes were bleeding. But then, Kyuuen's face was clear as daylight through the other blurs of color. She looked confused and sad. "K-Kyuuen..." I smiled weakly. "I d-didn't think I would s-see you ag-gain tonight..."

No other emotions crossed her face. "I guess you were right, Sen...Tonight _is _no one's night to die." She disappeared into the throng of loud people. She was completely invisible to me.

I moaned. "Shino...It hurts...really bad..."

"I know, babe," he said sweetly. "Lady Hokage's on her way. She can fix it."

"She's...She's only human, Shino...She can't...She can't fix everything. What if she can't...can't fix this?" My eyes still swam. Whispers and screams and shouts rang in my ears, the stench of human panic filled my lungs.

"Don't talk like that. She can fix it. She fixed Lee's spine, didn't she?"

"This is different...I'm not...not..."

"Shut her up, now. I don't want her saying a word," came a demanding female voice. I diverted my wavering eyes from Shino to the women standing over me. Alongside the woman that had kept me awake and interrogated Shino stood two figures. Somehow, I was able to tell they were Lady Tsunade and Shizune.

"Can you help her?" Shino asked.

"I'll have to assess the damage, calculate the recovery time, and lay out the right herbs. I can tell you then." Lady Tsunade had a glaring look of urgency in her eyes. Shizune -- as always -- looked frightened but calm. TonTon was sniffing at my hair and nuzzling my face, trying to make sure that I was still alive. The cute little pig. If only I could've seen her clearly then. But her lamenting squeals told me what she would look like had I been able to see her.

My consciousness faded away as I was carried to the Leaf Hospital. The last image I remember was Shino staring as I was whisked away, tears glimmering beneath his glasses.

--

"You really do love this girl, don't you, Shino?"

"Yes...I would do anything for her."

"Humph. That's cute. She seems like a nice enough girl..."

"Mom!"

"What? It's true."

"Dear, do you mind if I talk to him for a moment?"

"Be my guest, Shibi. Maybe you can make some sense of his insane infatuation..."

Footsteps. Silence.

"Shino?"

"Yes?"

"This girl..."

"I know, Dad. She's from a different village. Things aren't going to work out. We won't be together long. You've told me all of your 'prophecies.'"

"They're not prophecies, Shino. It's the way I think. She's going to have to go back to her own village sooner or later and with the way you've become _smitten _with her...You're just going to end up hurting yourself..." Silence. A sigh. "But I can see that you love her very much...It's tragic that this happened. I'm...sorry..."

"If you're trying to make me feel good, it's not going to work, Dad."

"I don't know what you see in her, Shino."

Concealed anger. "Sen's an amazing person, Dad. You just haven't listened to me enough to know about her. She's...she's awesome. She's nice when you talk to her, strong when you meet her, reliant when you know her...and hopeless when you love her."

"What do you mean 'hopeless,' Shino?"

"She _needs me, _Dad. She wouldn't be alive if it weren't for me."

"She's a dangerous influence. Just don't say those three words that will bind you fore--"

"I love her." Time froze.

"What did you...?"

"I love her. I said it. I love Sen. We can't live without each other. And we're going to live. With or without you, I'm staying with her."

Silence. Footsteps. A cough. Another cough. Cough, cough, cough...Pain. Incredible pain. Running from my spine to my throat. _Thud, thud, thud..._The tune of my heartbeat. The tune of my scream. Wait--scream? I was screaming? I was coughing? I was _alive_?!

Raspy and pained, my voice strained to leave my throat. "Sh-Shino..." Silence. "Shino...?" Pain rushed through my veins. It passed my Cursed Mark, and it reacted violently, triggering a scream to escape my mouth. I tried to calm down, but my scream formed into a word, a name. "Shino!" My breath came out in short, sobbing gasps for air. Alone, he rushed into the room. He seemed stunned I was awake. His parents came in slowly afterwards.

"Sen," he whispered as he came closer, "Thank goodness you're alive..."

"Sh-Shino...I love you..."

I could tell he was smiling, because I could hear the joy in his voice. "I love you, too." He gingerly pushed my hair behind my ear and kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes, savoring the moment, despite the fact I was in pain. He stood up straight and turned to his father. "Since you never actually had a formal meeting...Dad, this is Sen. Sen, this is my dad, Shibi."

I smiled, not risking myself the pain of waving at him. The man looked almost exactly like Shino, except he was taller, had mustache, a gourd on his back, and a brown jacket instead of bluish-grey. He nodded in acknowledgement, but said nothing. That didn't seem to make Shino too happy.

"Out, out, all of you out!" Came that same demanding female voice that had ordered me silent. Shibi and and Shino's mother scuttled out of the room. Shino refused to leave. Lady Tsunade didn't seem to have a problem with him in the room. "Glad to see you're awake, Sen."

I smiled. Shizune said, "How're you feeling?"

"Good," I paused to cough, "but it hurts."

Shino's voice had a sense of fear to it. "Lady Hokage, can you...help her?"

Lady Tsunade smiled warmly and reassuringly to Shino. She chuckled. "Of course I can. It's not that difficult. Just a few weeks of recovery and some intensive care with medical Ninjutsu, and she'll be good as new." She paused to laugh and joked, "Of course, Sen, you'll have to figure out how to live without training for a couple of weeks. That may be the one thing that will kill you." I smiled, not daring to laugh. But actually, Lady Tsunade was right. That _was _going to be the hardest thing for me. But right now...All _I _wanted to do...was sleep. I was so tired.

I yawned. "Well, your monitor seems to be going just fine. I see no risk of flatlining for you, so I think you'll be good. Have a nice rest." Lady Tsunade walked out the door, TonTon squealing in protest. Shino was silent. I closed my eyes, hoping for sleep to come quickly.

"Sen...?" I hear Shino whisper.

I opened my eyes slightly. "Oh," he said, "I'm sorry. Were you asleep?" I smiled and said no. "Oh...I wanted to know...What actually caused you to fall off the balcony?"

"Memories...Bad memories..."

"Otogakure...?"

My eyes grew wide. I kept my voice at a low whisper. "How do you know I was in Otogakure before?"

"I know about your Cursed Mark, too. You're forgetting, Sen: I'm the one who found you after you collapsed from your battle with Amaya, when you used your Cursed Mark. You were still in your Second State, Mature Stage."

"Don't tell anyone, please..."

"Why would I tell anyone? Do you think I want to lose you to interrogaters? Kiba, Hinata, and Kurenai sensei didn't even see you. Only my mother and I. Actually, I was the only one who saw you in your Second State. You'd gone down to your Premature Stage by time my mother saw you."

I felt relieved for a moment, until I realized something. "How do you know about my Mature and Premature Stages?"

"Kakashi sensei. He knows things about Cursed Marks, but he says that yours looks nothing like Sasuke's." I kept my eyes closed, trying to ignore the _beep...beep...beep..._of the electric heart monitor.

"Shino..." I whispered softly. I felt his hands pressing temporary holes into the side of the hospital bed as he leaned over me.

"Yes?"

"Can you...promise me..._one _thing?"

"I'd promise you the world, Sen. I've already promised you my heart."

An amused smile crossed my lips. "Promise me...that you'll never leave me. I don't want to be alone...I can't trust darkness any more. There are too many people who would do anything to get me, for one reason or another..."

I felt him gingerly take my hand, and I opened my eyes. He didn't have his glasses on and he was smiling. "I promise, Sen. I promise."

"Thank you...Thank you." He kissed me on the forehead before I fell asleep again.

**Shichi?!**

"Come here, Shichi!" I called.

"Shiiiiiii!" She cried, running to me. Shino cringed when she leaped into my arms.

"See?" I pointed out, holding Shichi as she licked excitedly at my face. "All better."

"Just be careful. I don't want you hurting yourself again. Bones are sensitive things," he warned.

"Oh, it'll be fine, I promise." I kissed him on the cheek, feeling Shichi automatically tense in my arms.

"What's up with her?" Shino asked, noticing it, too.

"I don't know..." My room was very cold. Even sitting on the bed as we were was cold. I held Shichi up in front of my face like some kind of an odd puppy. "Are you cold, Shichi?" She seemed to be smiling at me, her long tail waging back and forth, her pink tongue lolling out of her mouth. "I don't think she's cold," I said, putting her back in my lap.

Shino yawned. "Well, it's getting kind of late. I have to be going. Goodnight," he said.

"Goodnight." He kissed me, and as he did so, I heard a wildly angry screeching noise. I pulled away immediately to see Shichi's eyes burning with hate at Shino. "Shichi!" I scolded, knowing very well what she could've done to him had I not pulled away. She turned to look at me, happiness in her eyes, and then hate when she looked at Shino.

"That thing hates me," he murmured, amusement in his voice.

"I'm sorry," I apologized.

"It's OK. Goodnight."

"Goodnight..." He left, closing the door quietly behind him. "Shichi," I said, turning to the small white creature as she sat happily on my bed, "what's gotten into you?" Her tongue drooped out of her mouth, lolling back and forth as her tail flew from side to side. I frowned. "Do you not like Shino or something, Shichi?" She froze at his name, a deep, growling noise coming from her throat. "I get it!" I said, crossing my arms. Torayuki moaned in her sleep. "I'll make sure to keep you and Shino far away from each other. As for you, Torayuki," I said, pulling lightly on her ear.

"What...?" She mumbled, sitting up. Her dark green eyes shone with irritation.

"You sleep too much." She sighed and laid back down.

**Goodbye, Akamaru**

"Come on, Shichi," I said, picking her up. She licked my face excitedly. "It's time to go see Lady Hane." She didn't flinch at the name of the veteranarian's name. Why should she? Hana Inuzuka was Kiba's sister, and Shichi knew who Kiba and Akamaru were. She loved playing with Akamaru.

The Leaf Village seemed incredibly bustling today. I held Shichi like a little kid might hold a kitten, an almost smiling expression on her face. Kiba and Akamaru were nowhere to be found, but I figured that they would be getting Akamaru's check-up today, too.

As I came near Lady Hane's office, I heard a familiar voice hissing quietly at me. "Sen?! What're _you _doing here?!"

"Huh...?" Shichi sniffed lightly at the air. The owner of the voice stared at me through the bushes, wide-eyed. I frowned. "I should be asking you the same thing, Naruto san." He grinned and rubbed the back of his head. "Why are you hiding in the bushes?"

He frozen suddenly, and blushed. "Well...I...uh...I..." He chuckled nervously.

"Naruto san..." I said sternly.

"I-I...I ripped my pants and I was hoping Lady Hana could fix it..." He stepped shamefully out into the light, and, at the sight of his ripped pants, I snickered, trying not to embarass him, although his face was already red with embarassment. I smiled at him, hoping the look on my face to be reassuring.

"I'm sure Lady Hana will help you."

--

"What?!" I asked.

"Yeah...I'm really gonna miss him..." Kiba looked down shamefully, tears pooling in the corners of his eyes. I put one hand on his shoulder, hoping to comfort him.

"Kiba," Lady Hana demanded, "Don't you _dare_ talk like that. I _will _fix him before they get their hands on him."

Kiba managed a weak smile. I asked, "Who in their right mind would do something to poor little Akamaru? He's innocent."

His eyes got a glow of hate to them. "I'll bet it was something that stupid Sakon-Sound-guy," I jumped slightly at the name of he who was so masochistic toward me, "did when we fought. Some things lie in waiting like that, and they don't take effect for a long time. Do you think that's what he did?"

"Only_ Orochimaru _could have _that_ kind of _evil_ weaponry," Naruto snarled, anger in his eyes.

I hissed, "That _certainly _sounds like something that that _sick, masochistic monster, _Sakon,might do. I _hated_ him." My eyes narrowed as I stared at the lines on the smooth bamboo table. The boys stared at me curiously. They both knew that I had been in Otogakure, that I knew each one of the Sound Five, each of those who had tried to hinder our path to Sasuke, and succeeded.

"What do you mean that Sakon-guy was masochistic?" Kiba asked.

"That's not for you to ask!" I spat, glaring at him. Realizing their even more curious looks now that I had been protective of my horrible memories, I softened my tone. "What is for you to ask, however, is how we're gonna get Akamaru back to normal. The Kikaichu attacking him...That just _can't _be normal."

"Shino hates me," Kiba murmured.

"But he wouldn't dare sic the Kikaichu on anyone but a battling opponent, and from what I hear, from both you _and_ Shino, you were only --"

Kiba finished, "Waiting for Kurenai sensei, yeah. We weren't fighting at all. Hinata was training."

"Exactly."

"So Lady Tsunade's right," he said, turning his eyes down. "Akamaru _is _the target of biological warfare."

"It'll be OK, Kiba," I said, smiling. "We can get him all back to normal before Lady Tsunade has to take control." He smiled faintly, looking up at me.

"Thanks," he murmured.

"Naruto," Lady Hana said, "Here are your pants." She handed the botched repair of a sewing job back to Naruto.

"Sis," Kiba frowned, "You're too used to sewing up animals."

"What can I say? I'm a vet."

--

"Kiba, stop," I mumured, grabbing his sleeve. He looked at me strangely, then smiled, tears in his eyes. Shichi squeaked with fear, curling against my feet. "Kiba!" I said as he tried to pull away. "He's going to kill you!"

I heard snarling and slobbering noises from the mutated Akamaru. Fear rose high in my heart. The only thing that came from Kiba was a smile, and streams of tears running down the red marks on his face. "I have to, Sen." Naruto's eyes were huge. "I'm the only one who can stop Akamaru now, and if I have to, I'll sacrifice my own life to save him."

I let my arm swing down to my side and smiled at him weakly. "I understand...But, we'll miss you, OK?"

He nodded. Looking toward the slobbering beast that was once Akamaru, he whispered, "Hey, Akamaru. You remember me still, right, boy? Somewhere inside...I know you still remember me."

"Be careful," Naruto and I whispered at the same time.

Kiba advanced slowly toward the giant dog, the night air blowing his hood off his head. It ruffled Akamaru's fur, almost in a last goodbye that would never be said. "C'mon, boy," Kiba said, arms outstretched, "I'm ready for you."

Akamaru snarled. I pressed my face into Naruto's shoulder, scared. "I can't watch them anymore," I said quietly. He seemed to understand, putting one had on my head for comfort. I missed Shino at that moment. I heard a wildly barking, and incredible gush of wind, and Naruto and I were pushed to the ground. Seconds ticked by, and I pressed my face farther into the cold ground. I felt Shichi beside me.

"Sen," came Naruto's voice quietly.

"I don't want to see it..." I moaned, upset.

"He's not dead," he said simply. I jolted upright. A distance away, there was a large hole in the ground. Stumbling, I stood up and ran to the edge of the hole. Inside lay Kiba, unconscious, Akamaru -- all back to normal -- cradled in his arms. Naruto san stood behind me. A smile spread across my lips, and Shichi sat, pleased, beside me.

"Thank you, kids," came a familiar voice. I took a defensive stance when I saw the black-clad figure. Then she removed her mask.

"Lady Hana?" I asked, shocked at the sight of Kiba's sister. "B-but why are you here? Why did you thank us?"

"Lady Tsunade sent me to put Akamaru to sleep," she stared thoughtfully at her brother and his dog. I must say, he looked much younger than he was without his hood up. Then I realized what she had said, and looked up at her. "I thanked you, because I didn't want to have to do it. Kiba's had Akamaru ever since they were both puppy-age. They've been best friends since...I couldn't possibly bear to see them separated permanately like that. So I thank you. You two helped him so he wasn't scared to save Akamaru. And he saved him. I can't thank you two enough."

"You're welcome!" Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head, proud.

I smiled, picking Shichi up and holding her like a kitten once more. She squealed happily, making Lady Hana smile. "You're welcome, Lady Hana...But we should get him to the hospital, and Akamaru checked out, shouldn't we?"

"Yeah...Come on," she said, picking up her brother and carrying him on her back as though he were as light as a feather. "Sen, you get Akamaru."

"Yes, ma'am!" I said, nodding. I shoved Shichi into Naruto's chest, forcing him to take her. "She's your job for now, Naruto san." Shichi squealed again, and nipped playfully at his nose.

"Hey!" Naruto said, thoroughly offended. The two of them went back and forth in a pathetic conversation that no one but I understood. I scooped up Akamaru's limp and snoring body lightly, clutching his tightly but gently to my chest. I could feel his small body getting larger and smaller as he breathed.

Throughout the entire journey to the hospital, I don't think Lady Hana stopped smiling once.

**Nunchaku Training!**

"Are you ready, Sen?" Lee kun asked, pulling out his weapon.

"It's up to you. This training _is _for you, after all. Just...um...try not to hit me, OK? Those things look kinda old..." I warily eyed the nunchaku that he held so tightly.

"They are not that old. Guy sensei gave them to me," he murmured, looking at them himself.

"Yeah, but who knows how long Guy sensei's had them?"

"That is a good point..." Lee kun frowned. Nonetheless, we began our training. I stepped backwards, carefully timing each step as Lee kun spun and flicked the nunchaku in front of my face every which way, careful not to hit me. But then I heard a strange noise and tripped, falling on a pile of leaves. I felt something hard hit me in the head, in a direct spot that stung after it hit its mark and ricocheted to Lee kun. He managed to dodge it.

"Lee kun!" I said, rubbing my head and frowning at him and his broken nunchaku. "I told you not to hit me!"

He grinned pathetically. "I am sorry," he said as he picked up the left half of the nunchaku. "I will have to buy some new ones before our upcoming mission." Lee kun laughed, amused. "Just think about it, Sen! We will be protecting a prince and his son, in the Crescent Moon Kingdom! Does it not sounds thrilling?"

I smiled, forgetting my injury. "Sounds awesome."


End file.
